Some state lawmakers are seeking to overhaul Tennessee’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission after multiple audits noted failures by the commission stretching back more than a decade.
Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, sent a letter to Gov. Bill Haslam on Jan. 6 asking the state’s top official to consider replacing at least one commissioner after audits found mismanagement dating back to 2001.
A spokeswoman for Haslam said last week the letter was being reviewed. She would not say if the governor is seriously considering ousting any commissioners.
The move comes six months after TABC oversaw the introduction of wine in grocery stores across the state, but the latest audit revealed major, continued failures by the commission in some of its most basic duties.
The audit found the commission failed to put proper policies in place to oversee licenses, did not properly track or handle confiscated evidence and did not have proper conflict-of-interest policies in place, among other failures. Auditors noted several of the failures were repeated findings from a 2007 audit. It was presented Dec. 14 to the House Education, Health and General Welfare Subcommittee, of which Ragan is the chairman.