What, Michigan worry? That little deal about the collapse of their most important industry is of so little import, they have plenty of time to deal with truly vital matters as interstate wine shipping.
Reacting like only ineffective state legislatures can, both houses have now passed by overwhelming margins a measure that would completely ban wine shipments by third-party shippers.
It could have been worse, since the original version banned all retail deliveries. According to Michwine:
"That [new] wording appears to allow out-of-state retailers to hire Michigan-based employees to make deliveries on their behalf, or to drive their own delivery vehicles into Michigan.
Unlike the 2005 law on winery shipping, the Senate-passed bill does not specifically require out-of-state retailers to obtain a Michigan license or collect Michigan sales and excise taxes on wine they deliver to state residents."
Well, that makes perfect sense. Leave it to Michigan to kill the goose that is laying one of their biggest growth industries.
Next month, the equally ineffective Indiana legislature will begin a new session. Given the spate of new case law and the bribes (or political contributions, it's all the same) the liquor wholesalers give legislators I am sure they will find time to screw up our shipping laws even further.
Let's just hope it doesn't create any more fatalities amongst Indiana wineries.
14 years ago
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2 comments:
Actually, Indiana's laws are far less liberal than Michigan's already. A federal judge struck ours down last year, but the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed it.
Yes, the onerous face to face meeting before shipping. One Indiana winery gave up after that.
I have heard there are more proposals on the table in the next session. The liquor lobby needs to prevent the momentum shifting away from blue laws. I have even heard there is rumbling against wineries being able to sell on Sundays, but I think that is too much of a stretch for the liquor lobby.
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