Liquor tax question could make ballot

AGAWAM, Mass. (WWLP) - It costs Bay State drinkers 6.25-percent more to buy booze now than it did back in July. While the Bay State desperately needs new revenue to close the budget gap, one group is fighting back, trying to repeal the state's new liquor tax.

At Southgate Liquors in Agawam, 22News found many customers still opposed to the tax increase.

“Nobody wants any more taxes,” said Dave Martin of West Springfield.

“Why tax everybody who either drinks or smokes. They say that's a luxury. You can do that. Well guess what? You don't have to drink milk either,” said Jim Byer.

Now a group called the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes say they have collected enough signatures to put a question on the ballot on whether to cut the state’s liquor tax from 6.25-percent to 3-percent.

Susan Alfano, the Assistant Manager at Southgate Liquors, told 22News that occasionally a customer will be upset when they notice the tax.

"We have a lot of customers that come in and go 'What did you do -- raise the liquor prices?' And we're like ‘No. The tax took effect August 1’,” she said.

Alfano said they're still paying up, but instead of putting back that 12-pack, they’ll buy a six-pack instead.

Most people 22News spoke with said they think it's rare for the state to repeal a tax, so they're not holding out hope the liquor tax will go away.