by KYW's Tony Romeo

A Pennsylvania House committee has advanced a measure that would expand a ban on purchases of alcoholic beverages with welfare dollars.

David Reed (R-Indiana County) says the state Liquor Control Board already prohibits the use of welfare electronic benefit cards at state liquor stores, but he thinks the law needs to go further.

Now, the House Liquor Control Committee has approved a measure, sponsored by Reed, that would expand the ban on the use of welfare benefit cards at state stores to include child support payment cards, and would also prohibit the use of those benefit cards to buy alcohol at bars, restaurants, and beer distributorships:

“This was brought to me by case workers at my local county assistance office who had started to notice a growing trend of -- especially with the child support payment cards -- those being used inappropriately at state stores.”

Reed says the benefits are intended to give adults a second chance and to provide for children, and should not be used to purchase alcohol.