Package store owners from across Connecticut filled the hallways and a hearing room at the State Capitol in opposition to a measure pushed by the Malloy administration that would eliminate the minimum pricing law.



The law has been on the books for decades and it provides an outlet for suppliers to have an artificial price floor beyond which their bottles can't be sold in any retailer in the state.



Gov. Dannel Malloy has touted removing the minimum bottle pricing law as a way to promote competition and be more customer-friendly.



"I’m confident that the mom and pops cannot only survive with this but they can thrive" said Jonathan Harris, the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection, who spoke in favor of the bill Tuesday in front of a General Assembly committee.



Harris, however, was far outnumbered by the hundreds of package store owners like Nish Patel, who arrived at the Capitol in droves to try to drown the bill.



"We don't know what's going to happen with minimum bottle" Patel said, wh owns a pair of package stores in Middletown and Cromwell.



Patel said stores like his are still dealing with the effects of expanded Sunday sales which were approved last year.



“On the Sunday sales the number stayed the same but we picked up on extra expenses and stuff so obviously that effects the bottom line."



Package stores in Connecticut employ more than 5,000 people and bring in more than a billion dollars every year in overall sales.



Carroll Hughes, a lobbyist who has represented package stores for 40 years said removing the minimum bottle pricing law will lead to much lower prices in larger retailers with significant purchasing power, leaving smaller stores with higher prices and fewer customers. Hughes said the issue isn't about prices considering prices in Connecticut are competitive with surrounding states.



“I think we have to look at what is good for the state of Connecticut and the prices we have are almost all within a dollar or two of the other states, take away the taxes.”



Patel said the legislature should stay out of the industry altogether and said suppliers should lower their minimum prices if they want them sold at cheaper rates to customers.



“It comes from the suppliers and it comes from the distributors" Patel said. "So if they want to lower the prices for the consumer, they can just lower the min bottle on their end and then we can just sell it for that.”