DENVER - The Colorado House killed a bill that would let convenience and grocery stores sell full-strength beer, the Denver Post reports. While this wasn€™t the first time such a measure had been defeated, it was the first time such a proposal had come to the House floor.

Only 18 House members supported the bill, not even close to the 33 necessary to pass the measure. Sponsored by Rep. Larry Liston, the bill included an allowance to liquor stores to sell nonperishable foods and to let smaller liquor stores own more than one location.

The battle to sell full-strength beer in convenience and grocery stores started in earnest several years ago when liquor stores were allowed to open on Sundays. This year, the lobby for liquor stores and craft brewers won the day with their charge that opening full-strength beer sales in convenience and grocery stores would hurt their businesses.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when consumers would be denied the choice of where to buy a simple product," said Liston during the three-hour floor debate.

The Colorado Senate has a pending bill that would let convenience stores alone sell full-strength beer.

"This bill, like the convenience store bill in the Senate that will be heard today, had a subject title broad enough to drive a truck through it. The idea is to allow a board enough title to allow for any amendments that might help a legislator support the bill," Mark Larson, executive director with the Colorado/Wyoming Petroleum Marketers, told NACS Daily. "At the end of the day, this bill face a significant anti-grocery store backlash and that killed the bill. It will be interesting to see how the convenience store-only bill will fare since it will pit small business against small business and omits the big boxes and grocery stores."