Last month, Massachusetts announced the creation of the Treasurer’s Alcohol Task Force, which will create an independent group of professionals to review the state’s legal and regulatory framework of alcohol beverages. See Treasurer Deborah Goldberg Announces Alcohol Task Force. The Task Force will generate an assessment of the current climate…
Tag: state legislation
Empire Wine Bills Delivered to Governor Cuomo
On November 30, 2015, the two talked about bills, A05920 and S04446, in New York’s Assembly and Senate were delivered to Governor Cuomo. A05920 was introduced to the Assembly in March of this year by Assemblyman Phil Steck and proposes to amend New York State’s alcohol beverage laws. See Bill Supports Empire Wine Sales; Bill Would Curb…
Summary of Cuomo’s First Alcohol Beverage Industry Working Group Meeting
Last Thursday I attended the first open meeting of Governor Cuomo’s new alcohol beverage industry working group. The group, whose main mission is to modernize New York’s alcohol beverage laws by reviewing current statutory provisions, spent the entire meeting identifying a list of issues for further discussion and/or consideration. The first…
New York Legislature Amends Tax Law To Help Small Wineries
In recent news, the Assembly and Senate of New York both passed a bill to amend the state’s tax law. The bill proposed a change to the current law which would significantly help small wineries within the state. The summary of the bill provides that it “[e]xempts certain wineries from…
Massachusetts Accidentally Deletes State Law Allowing Farm Wineries to Self Distribute
As many wine and direct shipping advocates are aware, the new year marks a step forward for Massachusetts: the legalization of direct to consumer shipping for U.S. wineries shipping to Massachusetts customers. In 2013 and 2014, former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe lobbied to pass a Massachusetts law in favor of direct…
Virtual Seminar on Direct Shipping Sales Scheduled for October 17th
As many wine law enthusiasts know, the issue of direct shipment is a significant legal issue for wineries selling in the U.S. The legal atmosphere within the states is continually changing with new regulations, so it is important for wine industry professionals to stay up-to-date on direct shipping. This October,…
A Liberalization of Kansas Wine Law: Reduced Requirement for Grapes Grown in Kansas
In May 2012, Kansas approved a law that dramatically changed the regulation of its wine industry. The new state law, which spawned from House Bill 2689, reduces the requirement of the amount of Kansas grapes that must be in a Kansas wine. The bill amends K.S.A. 2011 Supp. 41-308a. Under…
Indiana Legislators Assist the State’s Growing Wine Industry with New Bill
Legislators of the state of Indiana, which recorded a whole nine wineries in 1989, are presently looking for legislative solutions to accommodate its growing wine industry. The state, which presently boasts over fifty vineyards and wineries, is embracing this growth, which is said to bring 800,000 visitors to its wineries…
Direct Shipment of Wine Could Soon be Allowed in Maryland
Note: There were several corrections made to this entry post-publication. The author would like to specifically point out that direct shipment is not yet allowed in Maryland, but it appears that direct shipment will soon be available in Maryland in the upcoming months. We apologize for any confusion the original…
More Liberalized Wine Regulation in Oklahoma?
Current reforms proposed by legislators in Oklahoma call for a more liberalized regulation of liquor and wine sales in Oklahoma. The state, the last state to legalize liquor drinking and previously one of the most conservative in terms of alcohol regulation, shows several attempts to modernize its laws. Senator Clark…