State regulators have ruled that the owners of Lawrence’s Cork & Barrel liquor stores should have their licenses revoked because they participated in a hidden ownership scheme to skirt Kansas laws.

An administrative officer of the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control division ruled last week that the owners of Lawrence’s two Cork & Barrel liquor stores — Dan and Jill Blomgren — violated the state law that requires no individual own more than one liquor store or that a husband and wife own no more than two.

The husband and wife own two liquor stores in the city — Cork & Barrel Superstore, 2000 W. 23rd Street and Cork & Barrel Downtown, 901 Miss. Both stores were open on Monday, and ABC officials said they would be allowed to remain open during the time period that the ruling is still subject to appeal.

Attempts to reach both Dan and Jill Blomgren were unsuccessful. Their attorney also did not return phone calls seeking comment. A store manager also did not return phone calls seeking comment. The Blomgrens have until the end of November to determine whether to appeal the ABC decision. If an appeal isn’t filed, the stores would be required to close, ABC officials said today.

The ruling stems from a December 2002 investigation that found the couple had a hidden ownership interest in Parkway Liquor, 3514 Clinton Parkway. The store has since been sold and the allegations do not involve the current owners of the Parkway Liquor store.

For more on this story, pick up a copy of Tuesday’s Journal-World.