The NC General Assembly Should Add Four More Seats to the State ABC Commission

The State Legislature should expand the number of seats on the State ABC Commission, adding four appointments, two from the State House and two from the State Senate.

North Carolina’s Alcoholic Beverage Control system is overdue for stronger oversight, greater accountability and a modern governance structure that matches the scale of today’s marketplace.

Free Our Spirits NC believes the General Assembly should take a clear, practical step by expanding the State ABC Commission and giving legislative leaders a direct role in appointments.

The legislature should pass legislation adding four new seats to the State ABC Commission: two appointments made by the Senate President Pro Tem and two appointments made by the Speaker of the House.

These additional voices would strengthen public accountability, broaden policy perspective and ensure that an agency overseeing a complex statewide system receives the scrutiny it deserves.

That oversight is not theoretical.

Recent performance work by State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office highlighted the size and complexity of the ABC system, including distribution operations, vendor performance, public revenue and the role of local boards.

The audit noted that North Carolina’s system generated hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenue each year, while also identifying operational shortfalls in areas such as delivery performance and fill-rate expectations. A system this important to taxpayers, local governments, law enforcement, education and public health should be managed with consistent, transparent and accountable governance.

Modernization should also extend to the local level. North Carolina currently has 171 local ABC boards operating across 100 counties. Consolidating those boards into one ABC board per county would reduce duplication, simplify administration and improve efficiency in purchasing, staffing, compliance, training and operations. County-level governance would preserve local accountability while creating a more rational structure for decision-making and service delivery.

The goal is simple, let’s make the state’s ABC system work better. Stronger legislative oversight and county-level consolidation would help ensure that public revenues are protected, consumers and businesses are served more effectively, and operations are held to measurable standards.

It is time for North Carolina to modernize its ABC system with reforms that promote accountability, efficiency and common sense.