New Study Shines Light On Illinois' Liquor Distribution Lobby Money
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Apr 20, 2009 9:00PM
The three-tier liquor distribution system established after the repeal of Prohibition was designed after our model of checks and balances between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government. Ideally, no one branch between the maker (brewery, distiller or winery), wholesaler and retailer should wield excessive power. Here in the real world, however, money talks, or so goes the adage. That's especially true here in Illinois, where legislation regarding how alcohol gets to a consumer is dictated by the wholesalers through the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, the powerful lobby for the state's liquor distributors. The ABDI was instrumental in the drafting and passing of HB 429 and SB 123, which prohibits out-of-state retailers (think wine clubs and online retailers) from selling to customers in Illinois.
In our post from June 19, 2007, we listed some of the state legislators who received ABDI's money for their campaign war chests. Tom Wark, the Executive Director of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association and the man behind the wine blog Fermentation, takes a look at just how much money Illinois' alcohol industry pumped to campaign coffers over the past eight years, and the numbers are startling. In 2008, wholesalers and distributors donated a total of $1,588,484 in campaign contributions to legislators in what turned into successful efforts to strengthen their control of distribution. ABDI was responsible for most of that amount: $1,164,609.
Illinois used to be a "full reciprocity" state, and should be so again. Which is why you should contact your local state representative to request HB 2462, which would allow wine retailers outside Illinois to apply for a "Retail Wine Shipper Permit," to come to a vote on the House floor.