GREEN BAY, Wisc. – The Green Bay Press Gazette reports that two proposals making their way through the city council would ban hard liquor sales at convenience stores and give city leaders even greater authority to revoke liquor licenses.

Aldermen Randy Scannell and Joe Moore introduced the measures. According to the news source, Scannell said he doesn’t believe banning convenience stores from selling liquor is necessary, but he hopes that it will initiate a policy discussion on bringing consistency to how licenses are granted.

Since October, the city council denied three requests by convenience store owners to sell liquor, while approving two others. The retailers who did not receive a license say the decisions have put them at a competitive disadvantage.

“[The aldermen] allow my competitors to have it, but not me. We’re not on a level playing field here,” Terry Cayemberg, owner of Terry’s E-Z Go, told the news source. The city council denied Cayemberg’s request because there are too many places selling alcohol near neighborhoods.

“If they’re denying the license to every convenience store, I don’t have a problem. But right now it’s like they just pick and choose,” Ranbir Shergill, owner of Singhs C Store, told the news source, adding, “Why is that? Why am I denied? Why do [competitors] have the liquor license and not me when we are meeting all the requirements?”

Alderman Guy Zima, meanwhile, says there are too many outlets that sell alcohol, which is “dragging down” city neighborhoods. “My efforts are to not have any more liquor stores or gas stations or grocery stores that will sell in our neighborhoods,” Zima told the news source. “Now, people can get it one way or another, but the easier you make it, the more problems you’ll have.”

Zima said he’s targeting convenience stores specifically because he believes that alcohol sales are not their primary means of making money, which gives them less incentive to combat sales to minors. (Editor’s note: Convenience stores staunchly check ID for all age-restricted products, including tobacco, lottery and licensed beverages.)

In April, Zima proposed banning the sale of single beer cans and small liquor bottles throughout Green Bay to reduce litter, panhandling and alcohol-related crimes. The news source writes that his proposal is on hold while Green Bay police complete a six-month test of increasing enforcement efforts downtown, where most alcohol-related complaints occur.