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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Ind. Law - Wine shipping in Indiana; and our other alcohol laws

Wine shipping. The ILB has had a number of entries over the years on wine shipping, and many of them have quoted from Dan and Krista Stockman's weekly column in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, "Uncorked." From this week's column:

Way back in 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision that wine lovers – including us – hailed as one that would finally end the confusion of the nation’s many wine shipping laws.

Boy, were we ever wrong.

More than four years later, things are more confusing than ever, and though we’ve written about the issue time and time again, we continue to get letters from readers asking us to explain it again. We’re happy to do that, but we also have an even better suggestion: Write to your state legislators, because they are the ones who created the system we have in Indiana now, and only they can change it.

And here’s an even better reason to write to them – the liquor lobbyists benefit greatly from the current system, and they are dropping bags of cash on your elected representatives every chance they get. So if you don’t write or call them, whom do they have left to listen to? That’s right, the guy with free tickets to the luxury suite over the Colts’ 50-yard line who wants to pay for their next re-election.

The column continues with advice on ways to work within the system.

On other Indiana alcohol laws, Mike Smith of the AP reports in a story that begins:
The General Assembly plans to consider changes to Indiana’s alcohol laws this session, including proposals that would allow microbreweries to sell takeout beer on Sundays and permit alcohol sales during voting hours on Election Day.

But sweeping changes aren’t likely to be approved. A summer study committee opposed changes that would allow Sunday carryout sales of alcohol from liquor stores, grocery stores and convenience stores or let venues besides liquor stores and certain bars sell takeout cold beer. Key House and Senate committee chairmen say they’ll support those recommendations.

The study committee also voted against allowing microbreweries — smaller establishments that have limits on how much beer they can make each year — to sell their beer for takeout on Sundays.

But Republican Sen. Ron Alting of Lafayette, chairman of the Senate Public Policy Committee, has filed a bill that would allow such sales. He plans to give it a hearing before his panel.

Alting noted that farm wineries in Indiana are allowed to sell their products for takeout on Sundays and said microbreweries should have the same privilege.

“It’s a tourism issue and it’s a specialty item and it’s a true art,” Alting said.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 10, 2010 11:40 AM
Posted to Indiana Law