PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE: From a political standpoint, the third and final meeting of the Senate Law and Justice Committee on liquor privatization last week was unlike any committee hearing I’ve seen in more than three decades.
After two earlier stacked hearings, with virtually all testimony lining up against selling the state stores, the third hearing was again weighted against privatization, save for the appearance of Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley and senior members of the Corbett administration. This was supposed to be the chance for Corbett’s team to come and tell its story.
Gov. Tom Corbett is spearheading the effort to privatize the sale of liquor and wine and make beer purchases more convenient. Corbett’s a Republican. The Senate committee is controlled by Republicans. One would think there’d be some degree of cooperation. Instead, Cawley and his panel, including Col. Frank Noonan, commissioner of the state police, and Secretary of Health Michael Wolf, were verbally thrashed by Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, the ranking Democrat… (more)
