After the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission chairman described a behind-the-scenes effort involving House Majority Leader Brenden Jones to steer construction of a huge state warehouse to a developer, Jones’ spokesperson said no legislation will move this year on the project.
With the session nearing a close after lawmakers passed a $34.4 billion budget, there is no longer the time or money available to take steps toward building a 600,000 square foot warehouse that the ABC Commission has been seeking for the past three years, said Demi Dowdy, a deputy chief of staff for House Speaker Destin Hall who handles communications.
ABC Commission Chairman Hank Bauer has pitched a $310 million loan to build the warehouse, and last month the state Senate in a bipartisan vote approved the loan as part of a wide-ranging bill addressing alcoholic beverage concerns. A legislative summary shows the loan would be paid back out of existing liquor permit fees that would start at $34.1 million this year if approved…