Board raises liquor prices; money for courts, prosecutors

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has voted to raise the state mark-up on liquor to get about $8.2 million for prosecutors and state courts.

The three-member board on Wednesday unanimously approved the increase.

The state mark-up will rise from 30 percent to 35 percent. That amounts to about a $1 increase on a bottle that now costs $30.

The price increase will take effect on Nov. 1. Lawmakers already have approved budget language to direct $6 million of the expected money to district attorneys and $2.2 million to Alabama’s court system.

Barry Matson, executive director of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, told the board that many district attorneys and court offices are struggling because of state funding cuts.

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