10 Years Later: The Need for State Alcohol Regulatory Funding

The Center for Alcohol Policy recently released a whitepaper that revisits a 2013 report of the same name highlighting the importance of funding for alcohol regulatory agencies to accomplish their respective missions.

Written by former Michigan Liquor Control Commissioner and former Michigan House of Representatives Floor Leader Pat Gagliardi in collaboration with J.T. Griffin of Griffin Strategies and former Chief Government Affairs Officer of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this updated report analyzes the publicly available funding levels of state agencies, the number of alcohol agents in states across the country, their increasing workload and scope of responsibilities as well as the record number of licensees enforcement agents must monitor.

“Our report highlights how state alcohol regulators are tasked with the complex job of managing public safety and health issues that result from alcohol sales,” said J.T. Griffin, when asked about the report.

“It is critical that these agencies are fully staffed and funded in order to protect the public,” Pat Gagliardi added. “Over the past 90 years, state regulators have kept communities reasonably safe from the potential harmful effects of alcohol. This article urges leaders to continue to recognize the value of investing in and maintaining the alcohol regulatory structure.”

A decade on from the publishing of “The Need for State Alcohol Regulatory Funding: Fighting Deregulation by Defunding,” this update highlights that many of the same issues remain and observes that a growing national population and increase in alcohol licenses has often outpaced any increases in budgets.

Center for Alcohol Policy Advisory Council member Jerry Oliver said of the report, “Regulators need adequate funding in order to properly carry out their public health, safety and competition functions. Today’s report shows there is much work yet to be done to give state agencies the tools needed to properly and effectively regulate this growing and diverse marketplace.”