The push by Gov. Rick Snyder to increase liquor license fees by 50 percent appears to be “dead.” At least that’s how one state lawmaker — echoing the sentiment from both chambers in the state Legislature — described the proposed fee increase in Snyder’s latest budget proposal. While the administration is still interested in updating a variety of statewide fee structures, a spokesman for the state Budget Office conceded the initial proposal faces “an uphill battle” and said a new deal may need to be worked out over liquor licenses. In an effort to modernize fees and increase funding for local law enforcement and the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC), Snyder proposed what would have amounted to $6.2 million in additional revenue from bars, restaurants and most liquor retailers. But the Legislature saw the move as unfairly targeting small businesses. Critics of the fee increase — including the Michigan Restaurant Association and the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association — contend that the Liquor Control Commission is already self-sustaining, generating nearly $200 million in net revenue through the Liquor Purchase Revolving Fund, which gets diverted elsewhere in the state budget. They also say that the hospitality industry plays a key role in generating economic activity for the state and argue that the fee increase is an unfair penalty.