File this one under deja vu.
Sometime last year it died with a quiet whimper, but before it did, HR 5034, raised some dander. The bill was ostensibly introduced to prevent Federal intervention on state trade of alcohol. But, really, it was a thinly-veiled step towards outlawing interstate wine shipping.
There was so much pro-consumer (gasp!) vitriol in the media about it, there had to be another side to the story. So, I asked the head of the state Wholesale Beer & Wine Association if it was anything other than a protectionist move at the expense of consumer choice. (Note: this is not a great way to get yourself invited over for dinner.)
I guess a lot of people looked at it that way. And so it lost steam. But 2011 is a new year with a new congress, and there are plenty of world events happening right now to keep us distracted. So, last week (on St. Patty's Day, no less) 5034 was reincarnated as HR 1161 by Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from the great state of Utah (yes, he's a Mormon), and a handful of other bible thumpers.
If history is any indicator of future performance, there will be as much rhetoric surrounding this bill as there was with the last one - and most of it will be bullshit.
At the end of the day, you've got to ask, what's the problem that this legislation intends to fix? Well, according to that guy from the Wholesale Beer & Wine Association, underage drinking. I guess teenagers ordering magnums of Silver Oak online is threatening to become an epidemic.
Who knew?
Before you completely laugh it off, take a second to contact your representative and tell him/her "Me likie me winey".
Cheers.
There was so much pro-consumer (gasp!) vitriol in the media about it, there had to be another side to the story. So, I asked the head of the state Wholesale Beer & Wine Association if it was anything other than a protectionist move at the expense of consumer choice. (Note: this is not a great way to get yourself invited over for dinner.)
I guess a lot of people looked at it that way. And so it lost steam. But 2011 is a new year with a new congress, and there are plenty of world events happening right now to keep us distracted. So, last week (on St. Patty's Day, no less) 5034 was reincarnated as HR 1161 by Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from the great state of Utah (yes, he's a Mormon), and a handful of other bible thumpers.
If history is any indicator of future performance, there will be as much rhetoric surrounding this bill as there was with the last one - and most of it will be bullshit.
At the end of the day, you've got to ask, what's the problem that this legislation intends to fix? Well, according to that guy from the Wholesale Beer & Wine Association, underage drinking. I guess teenagers ordering magnums of Silver Oak online is threatening to become an epidemic.
Who knew?
Before you completely laugh it off, take a second to contact your representative and tell him/her "Me likie me winey".
Cheers.