By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-996120.mp3
LANSING, MI –
Advocates for strong liquor control laws say they are upset they were left out of meetings of an advisory board preparing to make recommendations on changes to alcohol rules that will eventually go to Governor Rick Snyder. Michigan Public Radio's Laura Weber has more.
The advocates say their concern is two-fold; first that they were left out of the advisory board meetings, and also over what they believe some of the recommendations to Governor Snyder could be. They are worried the Liquor Control Advisory Rules Committee will recommend allowing alcohol to be sold closer to churches and schools, and allowing more liquor licenses.
Micki Fuhrman is with the Michigan Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. She says when a community is saturated with liquor stores it has a big impact on kids.
"It just makes it more visible, and if it's more visible it's acceptable," she says. "And so you change the norms from it's not okay to drink as an underage person' to everybody's doing it, so what does it matter?'"
Members of the advisory board say the group is wrapping up work, and it will be up to the governor to choose which recommendations he likes.