The bill passed during the special session also aimed to alleviate the problem of combined quota areas. Towns like Bozeman and Belgrade share the same area and licenses that could float from the smaller Belgrade to the larger Bozeman often did because they were worth more in the bigger city. That created concern at smaller towns in those areas could be left without any licenses.

Because the bill during the special session was hastily crafted — the session only lasted two days — the legislation didn't clarify how to break apart some of the quota areas. Buttrey's bill would fix that.

Other areas with quota issues are Helena and East Helena; Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Kalispell; and Pinesdale and Hamilton.

The administrator of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division spoke in support of the bill, saying it is needed to clear up confusion from the 2017 legislation. The Montana Tavern Association also supports the bill.

John Iverson, with the association, said the state for a long time had given away through a lottery process something that was very valuable. In August 2017, there were three liquor licenses listed for sale in Missoula for $750,000, showing how valuable a commodity they can be.

Iverson also said some businesses would game the lotto system by creating dozens of limited license companies and entering multiple times.

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