Corbett will roll out liquor privitization plan today in Pittsburgh

Gov. Tom Corbett is expected to call for auctioning off wine and liquor store licenses and opening beer and wine sales to a broad array of retailers, from big-box stores to drugstores.

Corbett’s office said the Republican governor will announce his plan today in Pittsburgh.

According to information from people briefed by the governor’s office, the plan involves shutting down the more than 600 state-owned wine and liquor stores as a prelude to auctioning 1,200 wine and liquor store licenses.

Also, owners of supermarkets, drugstores and big-box stores would be able to buy separate licenses to sell beer and wine. Convenience stores would be eligible to sell beer while beer distributors would be able to bid for licenses to sell wine and liquor.