Notices

Strange (Legislative) Days

Old 01-08-2015, 06:13 PM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Venecia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,859
Strange (Legislative) Days

In an earlier chapter of my professional life, for several years, I spent a lot of time at the Legislature in another state. There, and generally not fondly, certain lobbies were known as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They could push through pretty much any bill that advanced their agenda -- or leave legless ones that didn't. One Horseman was an aggregate of liquor interests -- manufacturers, retailers and the all-powerful tavern owners.

Not coincidentally, that state leads the nation in binge drinking rates, has higher-than-national-average alcoholism rates and more drinking among young people. Advocates for tougher DUI laws have had only marginal success in recent years. The public spending necessitated by drinking rates is among the highest per capita nationwide. There are various explanations for what some have called the "wasted culture" there.

In the state where I live now, a neighboring one, the culture is different. With origins in religious recognition of Sabbath, "blue laws" restricting commerce on Sunday still apply in two notable industries: booze and auto sales. Some sands shifted after the last election and as the Legislature convenes, the possibility of Sunday bans on alcohol sales being lifted is rapidly gaining steam. And attention.

The legislative culture has its own dynamics here. To some extent, we have our own version of Horseman, but they tend to be more counterbalanced. The most striking difference between the two states? The biggest opponents of Sunday liquor sales: liquor stores.

While it might seem counter-intuitive, it stems from opposition from Mom-and-Pop store owners, who say their revenue is likely to stay the same, but the cost of doing business will go up if they must be open seven, not six, days. They don't want to be pitted against larger liquor retailers. I suspect the larger stores would love to be open on Sunday but they're a united front, fearing that a loss on Sunday sales will weaken them and be a slippery slope to their shared greatest fear -- allowing liquor to be sold in grocery stores, gas stations and the like. (We're pretty much an outlier on that one, too.) The other strange bedfellows in the debate? Labor unions. Their opposition last time was probably what did in Sunday sales legislation; they're concerned about its impact on contracts between distribution truck drivers and their employers.

It may be the end of an era. The influence of brewpub taproom owners, leading proponents of looser Sunday sales, is growing. The grocery owners' lobby is chomping at the bit to get liquor in their stores. Border cities would love to keep the sales, and sales taxes, in their towns.

I'm ambivalent about the liquor industry. Most people who buy alcohol don't have our problem. But let's face it -- people like me were "disproportionate revenue generators." They need us. I know damn well what Sunday sales would have meant for me. I'm pretty queasy about the idea of loosened liquor laws having the unintended -- though not unforeseeable -- consequences that exist in the first state I described. And while I don't want to generate any "nanny state" debates, it strikes me that for whatever reason they were codified, some blue laws protect us against ourselves.

It'll be interesting.
Venecia is offline  
Old 01-08-2015, 06:35 PM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: mo
Posts: 108
My state of MO has some of the loosest liquor laws in the land. i used to cart my own liquor up to MIchigan 'cause you could buy top shelf brands on sale... My friend up there who owned a "party store" scoffed at the notion of "sales'. The state set the prices and that was it. hell you can buy it in gas stations here! and some 3am bars in KC .its nuts!
omenapt is offline  
Old 01-08-2015, 06:38 PM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Ya**!
 
Tonks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Canada! wtf eh?
Posts: 1,123
We always just went to the nearest military base. The alcohol never stops flowing.

How sad.
Tonks is offline  
Old 01-08-2015, 07:19 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Member
 
kittycat3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,308
I think I may live in the same state as you.
I'm not sure I have an opinion either. It is very interesting, though.....
kittycat3 is offline  
Old 01-08-2015, 07:28 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Venecia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,859
Thanks, Kitty.

If I were a betting person, I'd say the ban will be lifted by the time the session is over. I hope I'm wrong about unintended consequences, but I'm concerned. It'll be interesting to see how law enforcement weighs in.
Venecia is offline  
Old 01-08-2015, 07:44 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 26
Talk about loose liquor laws - try vegas...fortunately I don't gamble I could walk down to my neighborhood tavern and literally get a drink at anytime. Reverse happy hour goes from 10 pm to 6 am - WTF?
sobermtbr is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:04 AM.