Another Voice / Wine sales
Micah Kellner and Keith Wright: Liquor lobby scare tactics shouldn’t stop opportunity
New York State government has the opportunity to help address our multibillion-dollar budget deficit through a landmark economic development initiative that creates new jobs, provides lucrative new markets to small businesses, boosts key agricultural industries, improves consumer choice and generates more than $160 million in revenue — and all without creating new taxes. This unique opportunity is the comprehensive Liquor Store and Wine Revitalization Act.
This act will allow the sale of wine in grocery stores and immediately generate millions of dollars for the state in new licensing fees. The bill is also responsive to mom and pop liquor stores concerned about the increased competition and provides them with significant relief from antiquated liquor laws.
Working directly with many of these small liquor store owners, we’ve developed a comprehensive solution that will allow them to open new locations, develop cooperative buying agreements and even offer other products to grow their businesses. One of our greatest frustrations in dealing with the liquor lobby has been the claim that a few associations represent all liquor stores. Meanwhile, many small business owners in our districts have told us of their excitement for the possibilities for their businesses to grow under these reforms.
The act takes a big-picture approach that will not only bring New York in line with the 35 other states that allow the sale of wine in grocery stores and help our struggling wine and grape growing industries, but will also update liquor statutes that haven’t been changed since Prohibition.
Unfortunately, the state’s liquor lobby, which has enjoyed monopoly control of its product for decades, continues to fight this initiative with misinformation and scare tactics. Most recently, it falsely linked a report detailing deficiencies at the State Liquor Authority to the issue of wine in grocery stores. The report made no mention of wine in grocery stores, but the liquor lobby still claimed that the authority’s failings in addressing teen drinking would be exacerbated by these reforms. But this measure will not add any outlets for the authority to monitor, since it adds wine sales only to establishments that already sell beer. What is more, an FBI report found no correlation between states that sell wine in grocery stores and increased incidences of underage drinking or drunken driving.
We are facing an epic fiscal crisis. The need to evolve our economy cannot be overstated. As legislators, we know that looking for ways to do this without slashing critical services and taxing citizens to death is a sacred responsibility.
This measure is an ideal place to begin. It’s also an idea that is supported by an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers, who deserve to have their interests balanced ahead of a lobby desperately trying to protect its monopoly.
Micah Kellner, D-New York, and Keith Wright, D-New York, are co-sponsors of the Wine Industry and Liquor Store Revitalization Act.
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