Mayor McGinn’s idea to give bars flexible closing hours isn’t the only effort underway to loosen up our liquor laws. Some big money players are now trying to break into the business, which has been controlled by state government since Prohibition. Two competing initiatives have qualified for the ballot this year–one sponsored by warehouse giant Costco, the other by a pair of big liquor distributors–and both would make liquor easier to buy, but they could also have crippling effects on social service programs currently funded by booze sales. In this week’s cover story, Rick Anderson takes the first hard look at the upcoming battle.