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Monday, October 28, 2019 2900 S. Quincy St., Suite 800 Arlington, VA 22206 www.nabca.org • State Sen. Orr vows to renew push to take State of Alabama out of retail alcohol sales • Historic Soda Rock winery destroyed as Kincade fire has wine country under siege TODAY’S • Canada: Do we need a federal Alcohol Act in Canada to better regulate the substance? HIGHLIGHTS • Taking direct consumer wine distribution to a new level • What’s the drinking age on international flights? CONTROL STATE NEWS The release said during the 2019 Oregon Legislation session, bills were introduced about wine labeling, fruit OR: New Wine Council Forms In Oregon sales outside Oregon, purity standards and creating new licensure laws. One of those was SB111, which was News, Radio 1240 KQEN sponsored by the Oregon Winegrowers Association. It By Kyle Bailey October 28, 2019 was the catalysis for opposition according to the release. It said that the coalition that defeated the legislation is A new wine organization has begun in Oregon. now the OWC. The release said the group believes that The Oregon Wine Council has formed with a board of the OWA “has not represented our best interests, nor the directors and members representing the wine industry interests of the statewide wine industry”. statewide. A release from the OWC said the group Find out more about the new organization by going to formed “from the coalition who defended the wine www.oregonwinecouncil.org. Tuesday’s Inside Douglas industry from anti-competitive wine legislation during County on News Radio 1240 KQEN will focus on the the 2019 Oregon legislature”. The release said they group. Dyson DeMara of Hillcrest Vineyards, and Scott represent growers, producers and businesses supporting Kelley of Paul O’Brien Winery, two members of the the wine industry and are focused on “uniting the wine OWC’s Board of Directors will be interviewed. industry and speaking with one voice”. Co-Chair Elin Miller, Owner of Umpqua Vineyard LLC, said “we are really pleased with the support and how much of AL: State Sen. Orr vows to renew push to take State of the wine industry in Oregon has already joined us”. Miller Alabama out of retail alcohol sales said most of the large producers have joined the group Yellow Hammer along with smaller producers statewide. She said the By Jeff Poor OWC has already met with the Governor, the head of the October 27, 2019 Oregon Liquor Control Commission, and key policy One of the last remaining vestiges of America’s failed leaders. Miller said the group is “united the industry”. experiment with the prohibition of alcohol of the 1930s The release said the OWC is calling for no-new wine is Alabama state government’s 170 Alcoholic Beverage specific legislation in the 2020 short session of the Control (ABC) stores, which the state uses to compete Legislature. The Council has been actively reaching out to with the private sector in the retail sale of liquor. leaders of regional wine associations with that demand, State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) has tried on numerous according to the release. OWC Co-Chair Ken Johnston, occasions to end that arrangement with legislation that COO of Winemakers LLC, said “harvest this year has been would privatize the ABC Board’s retail sales. Previously, tough statewide and made our point as to why we Orr insisted the state could generate just as much income opposed SB111”. He said when harvest is low in the through privatization by eliminating the overhead. Willamette Valley, those growers need the Umpqua and However, such efforts have not been successful. the Rogue Valley’s grapes and vice versa. He said “we have to find police solutions that are good for everyone, During an appearance on this week’s “Capitol Journal” on not just one region, We’re all in this together”. Alabama Public Television, Orr told host Don Dailey he 2 intends to give it another try in next year’s upcoming process is completely legal, and is a result of the limited legislative session. number of licenses the ABC Board allows per city. Fletcher said he bought his from the now-shuttered “I’m going to tilt at that windmill continually,” Orr said. “I Romano’s. He has no plans of making the brewery into a think it is a thing we need to do. I chuckle, but it’s serious. full bar, or even serving hard liquor, but that license I think the state has no business being in the retail sales opens up what people can do inside the taproom. of alcohol. If we were designing state government today, Don, would we think, ‘Well, let’s get into the retail sales “I mean we can play silly things like games,” he said. “For of anything,’ for that matter of alcohol? But then, have some reason games are illegal, so you can’t even have a the private sector down the street that we’re competing deck of cards or anything like that.” against. So, it’s been tried before. And I’m perhaps a little The ABC Board has previously said these different stubborn and am going to keep trying. I think we’re going restrictions reflect the legislature’s intent to classify to come with something different this time, and we’re breweries as manufacturers rather than retailers. going to see where we go.” Fletcher doesn’t like the comparison. Orr did not divulge specifics of his 2020 effort, only saying “We’re not trying to become a bar,” Fletcher said. “I’m it is “substantially different” from what has been tried in never going to serve hard alcohol. We’re not gonna stay the past. open until two in the morning.” LICENSE STATE NEWS He made it clear, though, he doesn't hate bars. “At the end of the day, I don’t want it to seem like I’m AK: Why a brewery that won't serve liquor bought a against the bars or anything,” he said. “I support liquor license everyone who has a local business.” KTUU NBC 2 By Matt Leseman October 27, 2019 WI: Binge drinking causing “significant number” of deaths in the state ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - Anchorage brewing company is seeing some changes to its taproom. The company’s WIS Business recently acquired liquor license went into effect last October 28, 2019 Tuesday, and owner Gabe Fletcher says that opens up Binge drinking in Wisconsin costs more than $2.6 billion some new options. in lost productivity each year, a recent study from the “It allows to just have a little more freedom with our UW Population Health Institute shows. business, and do the kinds of things that we want to do,” According to Julia Sherman, project coordinator for the Fletcher said. “Like stay open later. We can serve more Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project, binge drinking causes than three 12-ounce beers.” “a significant number” of alcohol deaths in the state. Fletcher bought the full liquor license as Alaska’s Alcohol “You lose their productivity for the rest of their life,” she and Marijuana Control Office considers regulations that told WisBusiness.com. “We lose years of productivity.” would restrict what kinds of events can happen at breweries without a full license. Overall, binge drinking in the state costs nearly $4 billion per year — around $666 per state resident, the report “Most of those restrictions were already there,” Fletcher shows. Wisconsin’s binge drinking rate in 2018 was 24 said. “They were just trying to make them more strict.” percent, compared to 16 percent for the U.S. median. While Fletcher didn’t want to discuss the price he paid for As defined by the report, published earlier this month, his license, he said they typically run in the range of binge drinking is five or more drinks per occasion for $250,000-$300,000. The reason there isn’t an exact price men, and four or more drinks for women. is because they’re bought and sold on a secondary market. Aside from lost productivity — which contributes nearly two-thirds of the total cost — criminal justice costs “A lot of people don’t realize that the price of a liquor related to binge drinking were $560 million in 2018, and license is a black market price,” he said. “It’s not a price related health care costs were $380 million. set up by the [Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.]” Sherman said more people die from alcohol-related Companies looking to pick one up often need to buy it injuries than from diseases related to drinking. That’s from another bar, usually one going out of business. This 3 why the lost productivity figure is so much higher than They note that alcohol tax revenue last year was $60.9 related costs for health care. million in Wisconsin — less than 2 percent of the total cost of binge drinking. “Alcohol-related diseases push up medical costs, but acute injuries — especially those that lead to death — “Binge drinking is a serious community problem, and it’s relate to reductions in productivity,” she said. going to take efforts by the public sector and private sector — which has a huge role in helping with workplace Aside from alcohol-related absenteeism, Sherman said prevention,” she said. “They also have a lot to gain. It’s “presenteeism” is also a drag on productivity. That factor going to take community engagement as well.” captures the effect of people being impaired at work. On top of that, lost productivity due to hospital stays and The report was funded by a grant from the Substance incarceration plays a role, as well as secondary impacts Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to the on other people.