Lawmakers next session will consider legalizing third-party delivery of alcohol.
The Senate Business and Commerce Committee on Tuesday held an interim study on allowing third-party entities like Uber, DoorDash and Shipt to deliver alcohol.
“I hope the liquor stores and shippers can continue to negotiate, and hopefully we could get something across the finish line next session,” said Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City.
Coleman is chairman of the committee and requested the study.
Currently, liquor stores can deliver, Coleman said. State law also allows Oklahomans to pick up cocktails at restaurants to take home.
Shipt is a company that delivers groceries to homes.
“Right now, Shipt customers are not able to add alcohol delivery to their orders, taking away the convenience they’ve come to know and expect,” said Mark Smith, Shipt state and local government affairs director.
Alcohol delivery increases small business access to customers, allowing them to compete with big box retailers, said Harry Hartfield, head of government affairs for Uber in Oklahoma.
If a delivery person determines the customer is visibly intoxicated, can’t provide identification or is not present, the driver returns the product to the store, he said.
Most states have adopted laws allowing third-party companies to deliver alcohol, said Tom Kerr, outside general counsel for the Adult Beverage Alliance, a trade association made up of Amazon, DoorDash, Grubhub, Shipt and Uber.
Some states put limits on delivery hours and quantity, he said.
The Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma for the last four years has opposed third-party delivery, said Robert Jernigan, the group’s chair.
Liquor stores could be held responsible should there be a problem, he said.
“So with the third parties involved, we feel like there is an increased risk of violation that we don’t necessarily have when a customer walks directly into our store or when our employees are going directly to a house,” Jernigan said.
The Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission doesn’t have the manpower or budget for such an expansion, he said.
“We’ve yet to find a study that said that minor access wasn’t a problem in a third-party delivery,” Jernigan said.
If a Shipt delivery person can’t make the delivery, they return the product to the liquor store, but still are able to be paid for shopping and receive a tip, Smith said.
“We don’t want alcohol to be in the hands of minors or intoxicated individuals,” Smith said.
Speakers also discussed the possibility of not delivering alcohol to customers who are in liver failure or have an addiction.
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