Stop HR 1161 - The Odyssey Continues

HR5034; which would have drastically threatened the direct shipping of wine, beer & spirits; died in the last session of Congress. But like the Phoenix it has risen anew in the current Congressional session as HR1161. The Terroirist blog has the links you need to stay informed and to help stop the Wholesalers from restricting consumer choice and the ability of small wineries, breweries, and distillers to sell their products out of state.

State Attorney General Submits Testimony on HR5034 Drafted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff testified before the House Judiciary Committee this week in support of HR5034 and it now surfaces that his testimony was drafted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association. How do we know? Check out this article by the Salt Lake Tribune. The electronic MS Word document he submitted unfortunately for him contained "ppisano” as the author. Who's "ppisano”. None other than Paul Pisano, general counsel for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. While Shurtleff is ranting that we need to minimize lawsuits or perhaps to "protect the children" by passing this law, he is just covering up his affiliation with the NBWA. And that begs the question, "why is a state Attorney General so close to a wholesaler organization"? Does Congress need anymore evidence that this legislation is just a power grab by wholesalers? Not when the wholesalers are dropping $10k into their campaign funds - regardless of party affiliation.

HR 5034 - CNN

Our friend Dezel from My Virginia Wine Spot was featured in this CNN clip regarding H.R. 5034. The battle is ongoing, contact your rep today.