Wine Drinking May Become Easier, More Pricey In Md
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Wine drinking in Maryland could become much easier -- though not without a price.
Maryland lawmakers advanced a measure last week that would legalize shipments of wine directly from wineries to consumers, while they also pushed a new tax on alcohol sales.
The House and Senate both gave tentative approval last week to the long-sought wine-shipping bill.
Meanwhile, a Senate panel advanced a proposal to phase in a 3-percent tax on alcohol sales over the next three years.
A spokesman for Gov. Martin O'Malley says the governor will sign the shipping bill if it reaches his desk, and will keep an "open mind" on the alcohol tax.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
