page_title: Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The Virginia ABC Board of Directors (from left to right): Beth Hungate-Noland, Gregory Holland, Chairman Jeffrey Painter, Mark Rubin and Maria Everett.
context_page_description: The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is one of the eleven public safety agencies under the Secretariat of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth. The agency administers the state's ABC laws with an emphasis on public service and a focus on protecting citizens by ensuring a safe, orderly and regulated system for convenient distribution and responsible consumption of alcohol.
  The agency is a leading revenue producer for Virginia. The profits that Virginia ABC contributes—collected from sales of distilled spirits at ABC stores, taxes collected on beer and wine sales, violation penalties and license fees—provide much needed funding for use in programs across all secretariats, thus benefiting citizens in all areas of the state whether they choose to drink or not.
  Since its establishment in 1934, Virginia ABC has contributed $9 billion to the Commonwealth's general fund, which supports major education, health and transportation initiatives.
context_section_description: In response to the 21st amendment (repealing the 18th Prohibition amendment), Virginia Governor John Garland Pollard called the Virginia General Assembly into special session to legalize 3.2 percent alcoholic beverages. The assembly met in Richmond on August 17, 1933.
  On October 3, 1933, in a special election, Virginia voted 99,640 to 58,518 to ratify the 21st amendment and 100,445 to 57,873 to devise a plan of liquor control to supersede state Prohibition.
  Delegates elected by the voters formally ratified the 21st amendment at a special convention held October 25, 1933, making Virginia the 29th state to ratify the 21st amendment.
  A committee responsible for recommending the best plan of liquor control for Virginia presented its report to the General Assembly in January 1934. The General Assembly voted to adopt the "liquor control plan" on March 22, 1934, marking a decisive moment in Virginia history by creating the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
  The first three Virginia ABC Board members were Mr. T. McCall Frazier, Major S. Heth Tyler, and Colonel R. McCarthy Bullington.
  In 1936, the General Assembly granted full police powers to Virginia ABC's designated agents to assist local and federal officials enforce laws against bootlegging and moonshining. This permitted Virginia ABC to establish a force of investigators, who over time mounted successful campaigns against illegal liquor in Virginia.
  In 2015, the General Assembly enacted a bill to convert Virginia ABC from an agency into an authority.
  Currently, there are 374 stores located throughout the Commonwealth, with 93 percent of Virginians living within 10 minutes of a retail store.
  Currently, the Virginia ABC Board is composed of Chairman Jeffrey Painter and Members Maria J. K Everett, Gregory F. Holland, Beth Hungate-Noland and Mark Rubin. All five members were appointed to the Virginia ABC Board by Governor Ralph Northam.
caption: The Virginia ABC Board of Directors (from left to right): Chairman Jeffrey Painter, Chief Executive Officer Travis Hill, Beth Hungate-Noland, Maria Everett and Mark Rubin (not pictured Gregory Holland).
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