Proposed bill would let liquor commission approve some retail licenses after local denial

After a hearing, the commission may approve a retail license despite a local government's recommendation to deny it. This applies to retail license applications that received a denial recommendation from a city, village, or county. The applicant must prove that the local government acted arbitrarily and capriciously, or unfairly and without a sound basis. The proposed site must not include an area with a craft brewery or microdistillery license. The commission may decide after holding a hearing on the application.

The commission must consider an applicant's evidence that a local government acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it recommended denying a retail license. This applies when the commission reviews a license application and considers the local government's recommendation. The evidence must be submitted by the applicant for a retail license under the cited application process. The commission considers the evidence as part of its decision on the application.