Updated 12/26/21
Back in the 1980s, a law was passed which prohibited booze from being sold in Maryland grocery stores. At the time that this law passed, four MoCo supermarkets were allowed to be the exception due to a grandfather clause: Shoppers, Giant, Safeway, and Magruder’s. However, these stores are only allowed one location each to sell beer and wine. For a while, two 7-elevens in the county also sold beer and wine, but that permission was revoked after legal battles. Some specialty stores, that are also considered grocery stores, also sell beer and wine (Balducci’s, Roots, etc.).
Currently, all counties in Maryland have dry grocery stores with the exception of : Caroline County, Prince George’s County (one location allowed per store brand), St. Mary’s County, Talbot County, Wicomico County, and Worcester County.
In 2018, Comptroller Peter Franchot urged Maryland to allow alcohol sales in grocery stores. He planned to propose a bill to loosen regulations, but this plan was stopped in its tracks after setbacks with other alcohol reforms.
A bill was introduced by District 15’s Delegate Lily Qi in February of 2021. The bill would have guaranteed access for a Class A beer and wine license for grocery stores in specific areas and make it allowable for grocery stores in other areas to obtain these licenses as well. The areas with guaranteed access, labeled as “areas of priority funding”, have fewer grocery stores and residents are less readily able to access fresh food.
Besides allowing easier access to beer and wine in grocery stores, proponents said that this bill would encourage new grocery stores to move to certain areas because they would be incentivized by the guarantee of having a beer and wine license. In turn, this would allow residents to have easier access to new sources of fresh food.
The bill stated that in order to be eligible for a Class A license, the stores must offer a full line of food products in at least six different categories– some of these categories include fresh fruits and vegetables, uncooked meat/poultry/seafood, dairy products, and more. Other stipulations include that at least 50% of the square footage is dedicated to the sale of food or (non-alcoholic) beverages.
The county council spoke for around 40 minutes about this topic at the February 22nd, 2021 County Council meeting before eventually deciding to table their decision. One of the main factors that came into play was that the discussion of the bill was added as a last minute agenda item and council members were not provided with a briefing beforehand.
Some council members support the bill, Councilmember Hans Riemer said it was “long overdue.” Councilmember Andrew Friedson asserted that “residents are understandably confused about our complex alcohol laws, probably the biggest one they’re confused about is why they can’t purchase beer and wine in grocery stores– this is a rare restriction across the country.”
Some members raised concerns– including that it could be detrimental to small businesses. There was a worry that a large store such as Costco would be able to offer beer and wine and that smaller stores would not be able to compete with the low prices. However, the bill states that only stores “for which the premises do not exceed 15,000 square feet” would be admitted a license under this bill. (For reference, a typical Costco is anywhere from 73,000-200,000 square feet and would far exceed this limit.)
Ultimately, the council decided to table any further action until their next meeting, largely due to having a lack of time to read more about the bill. On March 17th, 2021, the bill was withdrawn by Delegate Lily Qi. As with many bills, we expect this one to be tweaked before it gets reintroduced in 2022.
Featured photo courtesy of Michelle Katz
3/12 (3:32pm) Update: The Montgomery County Council has approved the proposed changes, effective at 5pm today.
County Council to Hold a Hearing and Vote Tomorrow on COVID-19 Regulations
The Montgomery County Council will be meeting to introduce, hold a public hearing, and vote tomorrow at 1:30PM on a Board of Health Regulation to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
During a Tuesday press conference, Governor Hogan lifted the dining capacity restrictions on restaurants statewide, but noted that restaurants and bars will still be limited to seated and distanced service only.
According to an article on Bethesda Beat, Montgomery County will be reissuing executive orders regarding COVID-19 restrictions due to a change made in Gov. Larry Hogan’s recent executive order that stated local orders “shall cease to be effective at 5:00 p.m. on March 12, 2021, at which time all Local Orders issued above shall become null and void.” Full article available here.
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 11, 2021—The Montgomery County Council, sitting as the Board of Health, is scheduled to introduce, hold a public hearing, and vote on Friday, March 12, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. on a Board of Health Regulation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the County. The deadline to sign up for the public hearing is Friday, March 12 at 11:30 a.m. As soon as the Board of Health regulation is available it will be posted on the Council’s web page.
Documents and information are available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council.
NOTE: During the Covid-19 state of emergency, the public is not able to be physically present in the Council Hearing Room. Residents who would like to call in to testify at a Council public hearing need to preregister on the Council’s web page at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/calendar.html . Once the public hearing sign up request form is submitted and the public hearing list is created, individuals will receive separate confirmation notifications that include the appropriate phone number to call for the public hearing.
Community members also have the option to provide audio, video and written testimony to the Council using a recently developed online testimony form on the Council’s web page which can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/PHSignUp.html. The testimony provided with the online option carries the same weight as testimony given at a public hearing. Councilmembers consider all comments as part of their deliberations.
Comments and suggestions are welcome online at http://tinyurl.com/zrbwh5v; via email at [email protected]; by sending regular mail to County Council, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850. For information or to express an opinion call 240-777-7900.
The meeting will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM) on Xfinity channels 6 and 996, RCN channels 6 and 1056; and FiOS channel 30. Also available live via streaming through the Council website at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8, Facebook Live (@MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil or @ConcejodelCondadodeMontgomery), or YouTube (@MoCoCouncilMD).
Update 3/17: The bill was withdrawn by sponsor (Delegate Lily Qi)
Should MoCo Grocery Stores Be Allowed to Sell Beer and Wine? County Council Weighs in
As you might have noticed, most grocery stores in MoCo do not currently sell beer and wine. This past Monday, MoCo’s county council met and discussed a new Maryland bill that would potentially change this.
The bill, introduced by District 15’s Delegate Lily Qi, would guarantee access for a Class A beer and wine license for grocery stores in specific areas and make it allowable for grocery stores in other areas to obtain these licenses as well. The areas with guaranteed access, labeled as “areas of priority funding”, have fewer grocery stores and residents are less readily able to access fresh food.
Besides allowing easier access to beer and wine in grocery stores, proponents say that this bill would encourage new grocery stores to move to certain areas because they would be incentivized by the guarantee of having a beer and wine license. In turn, this would allow residents to have easier access to new sources of fresh food.
The bill states that in order to be eligible for a Class A license, the stores must offer a full line of food products in at least six different categories– some of these categories include fresh fruits and vegetables, uncooked meat/poultry/seafood, dairy products, and more. Other stipulations include that at least 50% of the square footage is dedicated to the sale of food or (non-alcoholic) beverages.
The county council spoke for around 40 minutes about this topic before eventually deciding to table their decision. One of the main factors that came into play was that the discussion of the bill was added as a last minute agenda item and council members were not provided with a briefing beforehand.
Some council members support the bill, Councilmember Hans Riemer said it was “long overdue.” Councilmember Andrew Friedson asserted that “residents are understandably confused about our complex alcohol laws, probably the biggest one they’re confused about is why they can’t purchase beer and wine in grocery stores– this is a rare restriction across the country.”
Some members raised concerns– including that it could be detrimental to small businesses. There was a worry that a large store such as Costco would be able to offer beer and wine and that smaller stores would not be able to compete with the low prices. However, the bill states that only stores “for which the premises do not exceed 15,000 square feet” would be admitted a license under this bill. (For reference, a typical Costco is anywhere from 73,000-200,000 square feet and would far exceed this limit.)
Ultimately, the council decided to table any further action until their next meeting, largely due to having a lack of time to read more about the bill.
A summary of the bill can be found here and the bill in its entirety can be found here.
A full recording of the Council meeting can be found here.
By: Michelle Katz @pike.and.rozay
Injunctions Against Montgomery County Filed Over Restaurant Restrictions
The Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) held a press conference today outside of their headquarters in Columbia, MD announcing that they have filed requests for temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions against Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Baltimore City, with the goal of having indoor and outdoor dining restored as soon as possible.
Among those speaking at the press conference were RAM CEO Marshall Weston Jr, Duck Duck Goose owner Ashish Alfred, and Lynn Martins from Siebel’s in Burtonsville.
Weston stated that restaurants in Maryland have been severely impacted and over 100,000 are still laid off or furloughed based on restrictions. He said 45% of restaurants said they would close permanently unless they receive a substantial relief package. He emphasized that restaurants cannot survive on carryout alone, they must able to accommodate indoor, outdoor and carryout. “Two of the three legs have been taken away from stool.”
Weston went on to say that “Governor Hogan has indicated that there is no data or evidence that he or his team has seen that warrants the closure.
Twenty other jurisdictions in Maryland have agreed with the Governor” and that there is “No evidence linking the spread of COVID to restaurants and that relying on the potential to spread is not evidence.”
They are asking for the judges to “rule in the favor of restaurants and employees”.
Montgomery County moves to ban single-use plastic straws.
Expected to take effect on May 1, 2021, the new legislation will require restaurants to phase out plastic straws by the next year.
“We were ahead of most counties on this in recognizing the need to reduce plastic and polystyrene and styrofoam and other products,” Council President Tom Hucker said at Tuesday’s virtual council meeting. Although this law may seem small, it can help make a difference for the environment. A sizable portion of aquatic pollution, plastic straws make up 200,000 tons of the annual 8 million tons of plastic that flows into the oceans.
Restaurants will still keep a small supply of straws for individuals with disabilities. However, the straws will have to be made of biodegradable material.
Olney Vandalism Suspect Strikes The Same Home Three Times, Leaving Derogatory Messages
An older man suspected of spray painting derogatory terms on an Olney house in the 17000 block of Cashell Road has been reported for vandalizing the same house three times.
The first two events occurred on October 28th and November 13th. The suspect spray painted the words “terrorist” and “I hate America” on the garage of the Olney family home. The November 13th incident shows surveillance footage of the suspect leaving on foot towards Cherry Valley Court.
On November 28th, the home was struck for the third time when the suspect removed a “Black Lives Matter” flag from outside the family’s home, which is caught on the family’s surveillance footage.
Detectives are asking anyone who has information about the suspect to contact the 4th District Investigative Section at 240-773-5545. Also, Crime Solvers is offering up to $10,000 in cash for information that can lead to the suspect’s arrest.
Those who would like to remain anonymous can contact the Crime Solvers via 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), online, or via the Crime Solvers app.
More information, including a video of the suspect from the Montgomery County Police Department, can be seen here.
By Madison Tringone
City of Rockville to Post Additional Signage at Red Light Cameras
The City of Rockville will be posting “Right Turn Yield on Red After Stop” signs at ten intersections with red light cameras according the Rockville Public Information Office. The signs are intended to remind drivers that they must make a full stop before turning or they could be subject to an electronic ticket.
The City of Rockville states “The red-light camera system was installed to improve safety, not to collect revenue from traffic citations. When vehicles make a full stop, it creates safer crosswalks for pedestrians and safer intersections for vehicle traffic.
The Rockville City Police Department reviews all photographs and video evidence of a suspected violation before issuing a citation. The fine is $75. Revenue from red-light camera citations goes to the city’s general fund, where it is used to pay for the red-light camera program and other public safety expenses.”
Below is a listing of red light cameras in Rockville from the city’s website:
North Washington Street at Beall Avenue (South Bound) – August 2012
West Gude Drive at Gaither Road (West Bound) – August 2012
West Gude Drive at Research Blvd. (East Bound) – August 2012
West Gude Drive at Research Blvd. (West Bound) – August 2012
Seven Locks Road at Fortune Terrace (North Bound) – August 2012
North Washington Street at Middle Lane (North Bound) – March 2013
Park Road at N. Stonestreet Ave (West Bound) – March 2013
Gaither Road at Redland Blvd (North Bound) – March 2013
Seven Locks Road at Fortune Terrace (South Bound) – June 2013
Wooton Parkway at Preserve Parkway (East Bound) – July 2013
Survey: MoCo Govt. Seeks Community Input on Public Safety
As part of Montgomery County’s “Reimagining Public Safety” (RPS) task force, the public is encouraged to participate in an online community input survey — the survey link can be found here.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich invited residents to answer a survey designed to gauge their assessment of the Montgomery County Police Department, its structure, services, and funding.
The survey is quite comprehensive, with more than 50 questions geared towards public safety scenarios and issues; citizens may participate in the survey until November 14, 2020. Once the community responses are received and aggregated, a virtual community forum will be held to discuss the results on December 3, 2020.
County Executive Marc Elrich urged MoCo residents to participate in the survey in a November 1 letter, noting that community input was paramount in the consideration of improving policing and public safety efforts in Montgomery County. The county hopes that more input from diverse voices can help lead to development of policies and solutions that further benefit the public.
The RPS initiative’s stated goals are “…building a more equitable and inclusive Montgomery County by promoting safe neighborhoods and communities that are better for all County residents.”
Where in MoCo Can 16-Year-Olds Vote?
It’s common knowledge in the US that the voting age is 18, but one place in Montgomery County allows teens as young as 16 to vote in city elections.
Takoma Park made history in 2013 when the City Council voted in favor of lowering the city’s voting age to 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds, a first in the United States.
Although teens would only be able to vote in city elections, the council hoped to create lifelong voters.
According to Pew Research Center in 2018, Americans tended to vote less than most developed countries. Proponents of the lowered voting age argued that an earlier voting age could potentially help raise voter turnout. Supporters also added that many Takoma Park teens cared about their city and wanted to vote.
The City of Gaithersburg brought up the conversation of changing its voting age to 16, but the proposed amendment didn’t gain the same traction and is no longer in consideration.
- Montgomery County Council Passes LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights
Montgomery County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to enact an LGBTQ+ Bill of Rights, the first of its kind in the state of Maryland. Initially proposed by the Council’s first LGBTQ+ member, Evan Glass, the law will expand existing anti-discrimination codes to include gender expression and HIV status.
Included within gender expression-based discrimination are willful failure to use an individual’s preferred name or pronouns and discrimination against an individual because of their clothing, hairstyle, behavior, voice, or similar characteristics.
The law also aims to protect LGBTQ+ seniors by banning LGBTQ+ discrimination in healthcare settings and nursing homes. Half of all people living with HIV are above the age of 50, and with the county’s rapidly growing senior population, healthcare protections are becoming increasingly vital.
“Too many go back into the closet as they enter situations like long term care settings, so we hope that this legislation will give them some measure of hope, and will empower them to know that if the worst should happen that they actually have some rights” says Aaron Tax, Director of Advocacy at LGBTQ+ elders advocacy group Sage.
The legislation will go into effect 90 days from when it is signed by County Executive Marc Elrich.
“Montgomery County is the first place to protect LGBTQ+ seniors, hopefully in the next year or two all Marylanders will have the same protections,” says Councilmember Glass.
(https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2020/20201006/20201006_8B.pdf)
By Alicia Clanton
