LCB Reports Record Sales, Contributions To State Revenues

The Liquor Control Board last year delivered strong returns at the cash register and record revenue to the state Treasury. Sales at Pennsylvania's state-operated Wine & Spirits stores increased by $60 million in fiscal year 2010-11, reaching a record $1.96 billion – a four-percent increase year over year. Those sales generated more than $496 million in sales tax, liquor tax and profit transfers for the commonwealth – the largest General Fund infusion in the history of the PLCB.
"Never in the history of this agency has the PLCB delivered such strong returns," said Patrick "P.J." Stapleton III, chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. "We are gratified to be contributing so materially to Pennsylvania's budget. And observers of our growth know it hasn't happened by accident. For the last four years, this leadership team has implemented a strategy to run the PLCB more like a business – and these numbers are the result."
"And we're generating those business returns while still directing substantial resources to our unique social mission: best-in-class prevention programs to limit underage alcohol use, and alcohol-education efforts – initiatives that directly and positively impact Pennsylvania's quality of life."
The PLCB's four-percent sales growth puts the LCB at the top of its peer group. The National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, NABCA, – which represents the nation's 19 alcohol-control states – reports that the average sales growth over the last year for those states stood at three-percent.  Stapleton was named director of the NABCA earlier this year.
As PLCB Chairman, Stapleton noted he was particularly proud of the enormous growth of the Chairman's Selection™ wine program – with sales now exceeding $50 million – a 19-percent increase year over year. Overall, wine sales were up 4.8% system wide. Chairman's Selection™ wines offer premium wines at tremendous value, allowing wine buyers to find highly rated favorites or undiscovered gems, often at the best prices nationwide.
The PLCB transferred more than $20 million last year to the Pennsylvania State Police for liquor law enforcement. In addition, since 1999, the PLCB's Bureau of Alcohol Education has awarded over $4.5 million in grants to 246 colleges and universities, police departments, and other organizations to combat underage and dangerous drinking. 
Since 2001, the Responsible Alcohol Management Program, RAMP, has trained nearly 20,000 owners/managers and more than 133,000 server/sellers in how to responsibly sell alcohol to customers. With preventing sales to minors as its top priority, PLCB store employees in 2010 checked the identification of nearly one million suspected minors at its more than 600 stores statewide.

Tuesday NewsClips

Editorial: The New Budget, Promise Kept
House Parliamentarian Guides Budget Debate
Corbett To Sign Good Samaritan Liquor Bill
Expunging Arrest Record Comes With A Price Tag
Editorial: Bar Assn. Weighs In On Judicial Discipline
Chief Justice Defends Closing Harrisburg District Justice Office
Gay Marriage Advocate Sees PA Lagging Behind
Many Factors Could Impact Casey's Chances
Bankruptcy Block In Place For Harrisburg
Harrisburg Needs Donations From Tax Exempt Properties
Harrisburg Mayor- We Shall Overcome
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Monday NewsClips

Liquor Stores Vouchers Drilling Fees To Top Fall Agenda
Corbett Accomplishes Some Priorities With Budget
Blog: Who Won, Who Lost In Budget Fight
Natural Gas Industry Spent $3.5 Million On Lobbying In 2010
Bill Would Keep Identities Of Callers To 911 Under Wraps
Panel: Reform Judicial Conduct System
Editorial: House Bill Is Affront To Right To Know
New Programs At State Universities
Op-Ed: Act 47 Beats Bankruptcy For Harrisburg
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Sunday NewsClips

How Did Corbett Fare On His First Budget?
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Corbett Achieves Much Of First-Year Agenda As Governor
Did Corbett Change Or Adopt Harrisburg's Culture?
PA College Students Gird For Higher Tuition
Bumsted: Why Vouchers Failed
Battle Grows Between Western PA Health Care Providers
Hotel Tax Helped Build The Mohegan Sun Arena
Will PA Follow NY On Gay Marriage?
Corbett's Top Lawyer Advocates Act 47 Bill, Conflict Of Interest?
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Saturday NewsClips

Corbett Succeeds On Fiscal Priorities
Shale Impact Fee Push Sputters Out
A Party Split On Budget
Analysis: Harrisburg Remains Perfectly Out Of Touch
Editorial: Budget Is Hollow Victory
Editorial: Cuts For Thee, Not For Me
Editorial: Austere Budget That's On Time
Editorial: Budget Insult On Time
PA Ends Fiscal Year With Higher-Than-Expected Tax Revenues
Pennsylvania Surplus At $785 Millon
NE Schools To Lose Between $959 And $169 Per Student
Corbett Wants More Commitment To School Pay Freezes
Voters Get More Say In School Tax Rate
Secretary Of Education Touts Investment In Education
PA School Voucher Issues Grows In Intensity
Protesters Rail Against Budget At Corbett's Philadelphia Office
Welfare Advocates Object To New Rule Allowing Reg Re-Write
Temple Tuition Goes Up 10 Percent For PA Students
LCCC Accreditation Issues Raised
PA Law Allows Longer Happy Hours In Bars
Editorial: Tool For Transit
Editorial: When Will PA Act On Cellphone, Driving Ban?
DeWeese Denied Trial Relocation To Greene
Bill Passed Halts Washington County Reassessment
Harrisburg Mayor Fasting, Praying For Cooperative Spirit
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July 4 PA Environment Digest Now Available

July 4 PA Environment Digest now available.  Click Here to print this Digest.

New State Budget Continues Severe Rendell Cuts To Environmental Protection

The Senate and House gave final approval and Gov. Corbett signed the FY 2011-12 General Fund budget bill-- House Bill 1485 (Adolph-R-Delaware)-- this week spending $27.1 billion, a 4.1 percent reduction in spending from the FY 2010-11 funding levels and without any tax increases.

            On the Marcellus Shale drilling impact fee issue, bipartisan efforts in the House and Senate fell apart after Gov. Corbett specifically threatened to veto any impact fee bill sent to his desk before the Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission submits its report July 22. 

            There are no provisions for re-funding the Growing Greener Program which became all but bankrupt this year.  Just $6 million in Growing Greener funds will be available for the next round of grants, down from its peak of $50.1 million in 2001. 

            The only bright spots in the budget were the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Farm Conservation Tax Credit Program which was restored to its full $10 million in funding and a transfer of $15 million from the PA Infrastructure Investment Authority to the H2O Water Infrastructure Program administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority included in the Fiscal Code bill.  The transfer does not represent a net gain in funding.

            For those keeping track, a total of $1.5 billion has been diverted or cut from environmental programs to help balance the state budget or to fund programs that could not get funding on their own over the last nine years.  Click Here for more...

Friday NewsClips

Corbett Signs Budget
Corbett Signs State Budget
Corbett Signs PA Budget
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Budget Signed Into Law Just Before Deadline
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Corbett Signs PA Budget Plan After Late Snag
Highlights Of 2011-12 Budget Bill On Governor's Desk
New State Law Gives Greater Control To Property Owner
State Universities Increase Tuition By $436
State Board Raises In-State Tuition 7.5 Percent
Tuition, Tech Fees Rise 8 Percent At State Universities
Report: PSU, Pitt Tuition Highest Among Public Schools
PA Cuts Schools' Funding By 11 Percent
School Voucher Debate Delayed Until The Fall
Editorial: Let Lame Duck School Bill Die
Lawmakers Give Governor More Power In Welfare Law
Corbett Gets Bill Requiring State Data On Website
Legislature Remanis Stalwart Against Same-Sex Marriage
Rendell Says PA Absolutely Up For Grabs
Op-Ed: Need For Rail Investment Will Continue To Grow
Legislature Takes Harrisburg Bankruptcy Off The Table
Harrisburg Act 47 Team Backs Off Firefighter, Police Layoffs
Harrisburg Residents Ask Buxton To Stop State Takeover Bill
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