MICHAEL FELBERBAUM
AP Business Writer
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — More than a dozen Virginia distilleries are asking Gov. Terry McAuliffe to nix a plan to raise prices at state-owned liquor stores.
As part of a move to close a $2.4 billion budget gap, McAuliffe directed the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to increase liquor prices. The agency has not yet decided how or when it will raise prices.
In a letter sent Thursday to McAuliffe, the state’s distillers said producers already face an uphill battle and prices at the 350 state-run stores are already exorbitant because sales are controlled by the state.
The move to increase prices comes as Virginia saw record alcohol sales of $801 million in the latest fiscal year.
McAuliffe’s office says raising prices helps avoid further cuts to core services like education and public safety.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.