hmmmm..... a government monopoly that drives up the cost of booze!!!!!! Original Article State to end 17-year hiatus on new liquor licenses Paul Davenport Associated Press Dec. 31, 2005 12:00 AM For the first time in 17 years, Arizona is about to start the process of issuing new licenses to sell alcohol, with nearly a quarter of the new licenses going to Maricopa County. The Department of Liquor Licenses and Control said Friday that it will soon make application forms available for the 126 new licenses it will issue under a new state law in the current fiscal year. The Legislature passed the law at the urging of industry groups, which cited the state's population growth. Without an increase in the number of licenses, the cost of licenses purchased from existing holders becomes artificially high, the groups argued. The licenses to be issued include 42 for each of three types: bar (Series 6), beer and wine bar (Series 7) and liquor store (Series 9). Prices for each type of license will vary by county and be based on values determined by appraisers, the department said. The department expects the sales will fetch about $6 million for the state. Five new licenses of each of the three types will be issued in Pima County and 10 of each type in Maricopa County. One new license of each type will be issued in Apache, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz and Santa Cruz counties, while three new licenses of each type will be issued in Cochise, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma counties. The mandate to issue new licenses was included in a wide-ranging bill that, among other things, also allowed in-store sampling of alcohol at stores licensed for off-premises consumption.