The two top Democrats at the Capitol agree: They want to keep full-strength beer out of the supermarkets and on the shelves of small liquor stores.

“I think it’s sort of the big guys versus the little guys right now — and of course I’m a Democrat, so I’m for the little guy,” said Speaker of the House Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, a veteran state lawmaker from Gunbarrel, recent home to top national craft beer maker Avery Brewing Co.

“I want to be protective of (small store) concerns and issues, and I want to make sure that if we do pass something it isn’t at their expense,” said Hullinghorst at a news conference Tuesday

Hullinghorst joins Gov. John Hickenlooper, a former brewer, on one side of the debate. Large grocers like King Soopers and Safeway are pushing to change the law in Colorado that limits alcohol sale in grocery stores to low-alcohol beers. It’s a long-running debate and this year the chain grocers have turned up the pressure by readying an expensive ballot initiative campaign to take the question directly to voters and outflank resistance at the Capitol.

Lawmakers who side with Hullinghorst and Hickenlooper say they want to help sustain the corner-liquor-store business and Colorado’s booming craft brewers while also retaining the feeling in Colorado that the stronger stuff is a semi-specialty item — a little more expensive and an extra trip away on a shopping list.

“I really do think they could be damaged with the initiatives that are proposed and some other initiatives that are being talked about here. But maybe we can reach some kind of agreement.”

A group called Your Choice Colorado is pushing the ballot initiative, which would allow groceries to sell full-strength beer — but not liquor. The group is prepared to spend on heavily to collect signatures and to sell the proposal to the public. Negotiations continue with both sides seeking a compromise at the Capitol.

Last week, Gov. John Hickenlooper said he would likely veto legislation that expands alcohol sales in the state.

“I’m generally in favor of the statue quo on this issue,” Hickenlooper said. “I’m not sure it has to be addressed. I’m not sure we need to change our regulatory framework to help big business at the expense of little business, especially when so many jobs are involved and in a case where we’re not trying to figure out a way to lower price for the consumers.

“This is that one place where getting people to consume more volume isn’t necessarily a good thing,” he said. “It would depend on the bill, but I think it it’s fair to say that I would be inclined to protect the status quo.”

At Tuesday’s news conference, Hullinghorst, speaking alongside Majority Leader Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, also talked about the waning day’s of this year’s legislative session, which wraps up on May 11.

“There’s two or three other issues out there left to address — construction defects and affordable housing. We’re hoping we’re going to get there fairly soon,” she said. “We also have some workforce development bills that have been working their way through.”

Hullinghorst said there would be at least two or three bills dealing with construction defects and the same with affordable housing — the issues are tied together.

Duran said one issue that could be included in the affordable housing package is a proposal to offer tax-free savings accounts for first-time home buyers.

Duran reminded skeptical reporters that it only takes three days to pass a bill — if negotiations have been worked out well ahead of time.

And Hullinghorst said that’s what they’re working on off the floor at the Capitol. She said bills have been held in the wings because of all the work being put in to make sure they can pass out of the Democratic-controlled House as well as the Republican-controlled Senate.

“We’re working, trying to bring everybody together so we won’t have any trouble moving (the bills) through the process. I think the important thing is to take the time up front to get this all worked out. These are complex issues,” Hullinghorst said.

She said there will be long nights over the next two weeks.

“We haven’t had one late night on the House floor this entire session and we’re ahead of where we were at this time last session,” Duran added.

-Ramsey@coloradostatesman.com

-John@coloradostatesman.com