MARYLAND — A bill that would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine is up for debate again in the 2026 legislative session. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said the bill is unlikely to pass this year — a view he also expressed last session.
Still, outside the state capitol on Wednesday, groups gathered to advocate for the sale of alcohol in grocery stores. The rally, hosted by the Maryland Retailer Association’s Consumer Freedom Coalition, came ahead of a House Economic Matters hearing on the Alcoholic Beverages Modernization Act of 2026. Under the legislation, grocery stores can purchase a beer and wine license from a current license holder or by applying for a license from local boards.
“The convenience point is really important, but it’s also about choice,” Del. Marlon Amorey, a Baltimore City Democrat and bill sponsor, said. “People deserve to have the choice, the choice to be able to shop where they please in order to buy the materials that they need.”
Currently, most alcohol licenses cannot be given to a chain store, supermarket, or discount house. Maryland is one of four states that bans chains from selling alcohol, according to the Maryland Retailers’ Alliance.
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