Results tagged “associatedbeerdistributors”

Does it surprise anyone by now a lobby might donate money to a politician's campaign fund as a "favor" for supporting their special interest? If not, we can move on.

Gone largely unnoticed among the other notable tax increases proposed by His Elective Majesty to plug the gaping hole in his 2K8 budget is the whopping $13.1 million increase to the liquor tax. The proposed increase will add 8¢ to a six-pack of beer, 7¢ to a bottle of wine, and 24¢ to a liter of hard liquor. Fittingly, this isn't sitting well with the beer wholesaler lobby. The Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois are...

State Rep. Edward Acevedo (D-Chicago) is no stranger to the long green. As one of the chief sponsors of HB 429, the wine shipping bill that aims to bring Illinois in compliance with the 2005 Supreme Court ruling in Granholm v. Heald by limiting the ways consumers can obtain wines, Acevedo received $7,500 in campaign contributions from the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois for carrying their water. Turns out that Acevedo is also the litigious...

Last May the Supreme Court ruled that states that didn't allow out-of state wineries to sell their product directly to customers (be it via phone, in person, or online) were violating laws protecting interstate commerce. The ruling invalidated laws on the books in 20 states, including Illinois. It was the correct ruling. Allowing direct wine sales to customers spurs growth in the industry. Wine consumers have a wider range of choices and prices to make...