Illinois Set To Stop Direct Shipping of
Wine
-Consumers Left Out in
Vote on HB 429-
(Sacramento, Calif) The
Illinois Legislature stands on the brink
of passing one of the most anti-consumer
pieces of special interest legislation in
years. HB 429, which passed out of the Illinois
House today even though hundreds of consumers
contacted legislators telling them not to
support the bill, would strip Illinois consumers
of their long standing right to purchase
wine from out-of-state wine stores. If the
bill passes the IL Senate and is signed
in to law, Illinois will be come one of
the most regressive, anti-consumer states
in the area of direct shipment of wine.
Specialty Wine Retailers Association, a
Coalition of wine retailers across the country,
calls on the Illinois Senate and, if necessary,
Illinois Governor Blagojevich to oppose
the legislation and support the consumer
rather than special interests who are seeking
to throw up barriers to protect themselves
from competition.
"HB 429 is the epitome of using the
public authority to advance private interests,"
said SWRA Executive Director Tom Wark. "In
the past five years Illinois alcohol wholesalers
have delivered $5.4 million to politicians
in what can only be considered a down payment
on the subversion of the public will."
For fifteen years it has been the policy
of the state of Illinois to allow its residents
to purchase and have shipped to them wine
from out-of-state wine stores. With the
2005 Granholm v. Heald U.S. Supreme Court
decision states such as Illinois needed
to make technical change to their wine shipping
laws. Wholesalers and some retailers in
the state took this opportunity to write
a bill that amounts to protectionism by
forcing Illinois residents to only buy wine
from in-state retailers, who are supplied
by Illinois alcohol wholesalers.
"If HB 429 passes Illinois residents
will no longer have access to thousands
of imported and American-made wines that
Illinois wholesalers do not supply to the
only retail outlets that will be allowed
to serve the state's wine lovers,"
explains Wark. "While a financial windfall
for the state's alcohol wholesalers and
retailers, it is a disaster for Illinois
residents who have for 15 years been encouraged
to purchase wine from out-of-state retailers
who had what they wanted to buy but couldn't
be found in Illinois."
SWRA has said previously and continues to
warn that HB 429 is a blatantly unconstitutional
law that is very likely to be challenged
in court just as similar laws have been
challenged in Texas and California.
SWRA is an association of brick and mortar
and Internet-based wine retailers, wine
auction houses and wine cataloguers located
across the country. Its mission is to advocate
on behalf of consumers and its members for
fair wine laws.
Specialty Wine Retailers Association
Tom Wark, Executive Director
Phone: 707-935-4424
Cell: 707-246-6451
twark@specialtywineretailers.org
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