STAR, IDAHO — Governor Little signed House Bill 570 on Monday allowing small family-owned businesses across Idaho to continue selling liquor under a special distribution agreement, even with the presence of a state-run store.
- House Bill 570 is aimed at allowing small shops to keep selling liquor under a special agreement even with the presence of a state-owned store.
- The bill passed both the Senate and House in recent weeks and now has been signed into law by Governor Little.
- For more information on the bill itself click here.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Liquor for sale for good at the Star Merc. I'm your Star neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston, where the store's future was in question earlier this year with the opening of a state-run liquor store down the road. But thanks to new legislation officially signed into law Monday by Governor Brad Little, local shops like this are grandfathered in with their previous agreement which is a big deal for their bottom line.
Part owner Denise Kirtley said, "We are just excited that we know now. I did not think it would probably work."
Kirtley was elated when the news broke of Governor Little signing House Bill 570 which allows stores that have been selling liquor under a special distributors agreement prior to January 1st, 2023, to continue selling even with the presence of a state-run liquor store.
"I feel like we are still going to be in business for years to come," said Kirtley.
Blaine Sellman, a customer at the store explained, "This place is a liquor store. It always has been a liquor store. It has been feeding the Star community for as long as I can remember."
Speaking with Kirtley she explained that with this new legislation, they will now push their liquor sales harder than before because it will be their differentiator from neighboring stores.
Kirtley continued, "We thought if we could keep the liquor, that would be something just we could have and kind of go off that."
The Kirtley family says they are extremely grateful for the ongoing support from the Star community and locals like Sellman who want to help keep those doors open.
Sellman finished by saying, "But mostly this is the center hub of Star. It always has been. I come to this place just to support the store. Just because I want this place to last another hundred years."
Kirtley says that this isn't just a big win for the Merc but for small family-owned stores all across Idaho.
