Wednesday, March 11, 2020 www.nabca.org • The Utah State Legislature has approved 'wine of the month' clubs (and some light bootlegging) • Liquor Industry Launches Anti-Litter Campaign; Top Lawmaker Says It Won’t Work TODAY’S • More Netherlands Residents Sticking to One Glass of Alcohol Per Day HIGHLIGHTS • How alcohol affects your heart, from moderate to excessive drinking • Spirits Europe hits out at Luxembourg’s alcohol proposal • The US Department of Labor just issued tips for workplaces preparing for the coronavirus NABCA NEWS CONTROL STATE NEWS The 27th Annual Legal Symposium has been UT: The Utah State Legislature has approved 'wine cancelled. Please visit NABCA’s website to review of the month' clubs (and some light bootlegging) the news release for more details. FOX 13 83RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE By Ben Winslow March 10, 2020 Registration for NABCA’s Annual Conference at our new location is open. To register, please visit our website at SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that allows wine www.nabca.org/meeting subscriptions has passed the Utah State Legislature. The Senate gave final approval to Rep. Mike McKell's TTB Alcohol Trade Practice Video Series TTB provides on-demand alcohol educational information House Bill 157. The latest version of the bill allowed Videos: https://www.ttb.gov/news/see-our-new-ttb- for things like the "wine of the month" clubs. But trade-practice-video-series) wine must be delivered to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control -- not direct to consumer -- and a cost plus 88% markup is applied. NABCA WEBINAR Still, Rep. McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said it was a good NEW! Women. Alcohol. Health. - From Blackouts to Breast thing. He ran the bill after constituents contacted Cancer. webinar is now available on our website. Visit him frustrated that they could not import wine into www.nabca.org/Resources/Webinars the state. As a liquor control state, Utah exercises strict controls over alcohol importation. "Let's be responsive to the market and what people JOB OPPORTUNITY want," Rep. McKell told FOX 13 on Tuesday. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional The bill also makes another change to Utah liquor to serve as the Chief Information Officer. If you have laws. It allows up to nine liters of wine -- or about a professional experience managing all phases of case -- to be brought into the state without penalty. information technology projects for an organization within a consumer packaged goods/retail industry, the PLCB Utah has previously forbidden it under anti- wants to talk to you! Please visit bootlegging laws or required it to be declared with https://www.employment.pa.gov for more information the DABC. and to apply. Applications will be accepted through "We are going to allow people to bring nine liters March 23, 2020 back domestically and internationally," Rep. McKell said. "So if you’re overseas, you’re abroad and you want to bring nine liters back you can do that. If 2 you’re in Napa Valley and you bring nine liters back, Total Wine would be the first out-of-state company I think it’s just common sense." to open a liquor store in Indiana since the Supreme Court’s ruling. The bill now goes to Governor Gary Herbert for his signature or veto. The company said it has spent more than $100,000 in architectural fees and other costs in preparation The legislature is also considering a bill by Sen. Gene for opening a store at 1460 E. 86th St. Davis, D-Salt Lake City, to beef up consumer custom ordering through the DABC. It said it also spent hundreds of hours studying possible locations before deciding on that site, LICENSE STATE NEWS which has “outstanding road visibility, an ample parking field, easy ingress and egress, and a co- IN: Big liquor chain sues Indiana for denying permit tenancy mix, including several national retailers, for Nora superstore that will complement one another and provide the typical Total Wine customer an outstanding, one- The Indiana Lawyer stop shopping experience.” Indianapolis Business Journal Staff and John Russell March 10, 2020 The liquor commission declined IBJ’s request for Just days after getting turned down for a liquor comment on Tuesday morning. permit, a huge Maryland-based liquor retailer is John Krauss, the commission’s vice chairman, said suing the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, last week that the state was in a “legal quagmire,” saying the denial was unconstitutional and with the Supreme Court decision on one hand and amounted to economic protectionism. the existing state law on the other. Indiana Fine Wine & Spirits LLC, an affiliate of “But until the General Assembly or a court acts to national retailer Total Wine & More, filed a invalidate our existing statute, we have no choice complaint March 6 in the U.S. Southern District but to deny the permit,” he said. Court in Indianapolis, saying the state’s ruling Total Wine wants to remodel about 26,000 square violated the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause. feet of the former Marsh, according to plans it The state liquor commission denied the company a submitted to the state several weeks ago for a permit on March 3 for a proposed superstore in the building permit. old Marsh supermarket at Nora Corners Shopping The former Marsh space, which measures about Center. Its rationale was that state law prohibits it 49,000 square feet, went vacant when the now- from issuing a retail permit to any company unless defunct grocery chain closed the store in April 2017. at least 60% of the company’s common stock is It filed for bankruptcy a month later. owned by people who have been Indiana residents for five years. Discount grocer Aldi opened a store in the space in 2018 but left more than 25,000 square feet empty. Total Wine, the nation’s largest liquor retailer with 206 superstores in 24 states, is based in Bethesda, Total Wine typically operates huge liquor Maryland. It’s a private company with no known superstores that are about five times the size of Indiana connections. typical liquor stores currently operating in Indiana. In its complaint, the company cites a 7-2 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court last year that struck down a CT: Self-serve alcohol bill passes committee similar residency requirement in Tennessee as Senate Bill 254 would legalize certain liquor permit- unconstitutional. holders to use “a self-pour automated system." “The intent and purpose of Indiana’s in-state FOX 61 residency requirements is to protect in-state owners By Rick Lessard of package stores from economic competition by March 10, 2020 out-of-state owners,” the complaint said. 3 A bill that would allow self-pour technology in places also be allowed under the legislation. Liquor stores restaurants, bars, craft breweries, passed are not included in the bill, so Georgians would still committee Tuesday. be unable to get a bottle of vodka or bourbon sent to their home. Senate Bill 254 would legalize certain liquor permit- holders to use “a self-pour automated system that, There has been some concern that home deliveries 4 upon activation of a payment card by the could be used by teens to get alcohol, said Rep. Lynn permittee, may be operated to 5 dispense beer, Smith, R-Newnan. Sponsor Rep. Brett Harrell, R- cider” and wine. The cider would need to be six Snellville, said the law’s requirements for proof of percent alcohol by volume or lower, according to age will prevent that. the bill. “There are more checks in this bill than there are at Chillproof LLC made a statement regarding the bill the counter of a retail store,” Harrell said. passing committee today: The bill has been driven by consumer demand and “Passage of this pro-jobs, pro-consumer the increasing frequency of grocery delivery. One legislation is great news for our state. We're app that provides alcohol delivery in 30 other states certain that Connecticut can benefit by allowing had more than 400,000 requests for deliveries in self-pour technology in restaurants, bars, and Georgia last year, but could fulfill none of them breweries. Here's the bottom line: allowing self- because it wasn’t legal, Harrell said. pour technology in-state will bolster our state's economic competitiveness, empower and “This allows you to get your groceries delivered with protect consumers, and promote significant a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer,” Harrell said. private investment in our communities and their The bill passed 110-54 and awaits a Senate vote. futures. Thanks to the General Law Committee for supporting this important legislation, and we’re looking forward to working with both the CT: Liquor Industry Launches Anti-Litter Campaign; Senate and House to ensure we get this bill Top Lawmaker Says It Won’t Work passed, which will benefit CT taxpayers and CT News Junkie consumers.” by Christine Stuart The bill will now head to the General Assembly for a March 11, 2020 vote. NEW BRITAIN, CT – The wine and spirit industry teamed up with Live Green on Tuesday to announce a five-year anti-litter campaign dubbed “Don’t Trash GA: Home delivery of beer, wine approved by Connecticut – Nip It In The Bin!” Georgia House “We are not ignorant to the fact that people are The Atlanta Journal-Constitution concerned about litter in general,” Lawrence Cafero By Amanda C. Coyne March 10, 2020 Jr., executive director of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, said at a press The Georgia House approved a bill Tuesday that conference at CT Beverage Mart.