A roomful of lobbyists from all sides of the booze-in-grocery-stores debate watched warily as a ballot initiative relaxing restrictions on wine and full-strength beer sales cleared its first hurdle Tuesday.

The initiative, filed last month, was tweaked and prodded by legislative council and now awaits a hearing with the secretary of state's office.

Author Blake Harrison, a Denver deputy district attorney, wants to allow grocery and convenience stores to dedicate 5 percent of their floor space to wine and full strength beer. Both are now limited to selling only lower- alcohol beer.

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