Senate Passes Raptakis Bill On Alcohol Sales; Newton Takes State House Job

The state Senate approved legislation last Tuesday to amend a new reporting requirement on alcohol sales in the state. The bill was introduced by Sen. Leonidas Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry) and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. Raptakis represents part of western East Greenwich as well as part of West Greenwich.

Raptakis decried the reporting requirement – which was passed last session. He said restaurant and bar owners received notification from the Division of Taxation early in January that they had until Feb. 1 to provide this new report, a detailed two-page form that requires businesses to compile their total alcoholic beverage sales for the previous year. Currently, restaurants and bars have to file a monthly form detailing their total sales, both food and beverage.

Raptakis owns a pizza restaurant in Coventry.

The legislation passed by the Senate would lift the requirement from bars and restaurants, but leave Class A liquor license holders responsible for filing the report.

State Rep. Patricia A. Serpa (D-Dist. 27, West Warwick), has introduced a similar bill in the House which has had one hearing by the House Committee on Finance.

The Raptakis legislation was co-sponsored by Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston), Sen. Michael J. McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick), Sen. Dennis L. Algiere (R-Dist. 38, Westerly) and Sen. Erin P. Lynch (D-Dist. 31, Warwick).

In other news, the Providence Journal reported Monday that Chuck Newton, chair of the EG Republican Town Committee and former executive director of the state GOP, is now working for the House GOP caucus at the State House. The job, which pays $49,136, involves writing news releases and analyzing policy for the six-member House caucus.