State senators are holding the privatization of Pennsylvania’s wine and liquor stores at arm’s length as they discuss ways to change the system to make it more profitable.  

At its budget hearing Thursday, the Liquor Control Board’s CEO Joe Conti asked lawmakers for help on a slew of reforms.  Among them: bills to allow liquor stores to sell lottery tickets, allow more to open on Sundays, and change pricing rules to make them more competitive with neighboring states and online retailers.

Republican Senator John Pippy, of Allegheny County, said efforts to modernize the LCB won’t interfere with efforts to sell off the state’s liquor stores – a ball he said is not in the state Senate’s court. 

“The House, right now, is dealing with the privatization side,” said Pippy.  “Regardless of whether we privatize or not, these things would hopefully make the system better for the individual consumer but also increase the value so if we do go to privatize it, we’ll get more value out of it.”

Conti also wants lawmakers to give the LCB more control over the civil service exam that potential employees are required to take.  He said the agency should be able to hire and fire employees based on its own criteria, in order to be more competitive.

“You know, I’m not fixated on everybody not being civil service, but in our retail area – in marketing, in store operations, and in supply chain – we’d really like relief from civil service,” said Conti.  He added that the LCB pays a million dollars a year to have the state handle its job vacancies and fill them based on the established civil service standards.