Wisconsin Beer Bill

[steveh]

This just in, forwarded by my friends at the Capital Brewery, Madison, WI. Smells like something fishy being stirred up - by whom? Your guess...

http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/editorial/71791.php

Wisconsin Folk - please take note and tell your Guv how you vote! You can
let the Governor know how you feel about BILL #SB489 by calling (608)
266-1212.

S.

[davesarman]

That stinks! Smells like corporate lobbyists trying to influence the govt. at the expense of the little guys (once again!). I hope any and all residents of WI that see this take some action and contact their legislators and governor! I would hate to see anything happen to the wonderful small breweries in my neighboring state to the east!

[sallad]

wow, now if that ain't a big hairy you-know-what being stuck up the micro's you-know-where, i don't know what is!

[studentofbeer]

wow that's some major shadyness.

IANAL (yet) but as a regular citizen you'd think this would run afoul of some federal anti-trust laws or something. yeesh.

i wish i knew more about the laws surrounding distribution because they sound really crazy. is there any lobbying organization devoted to the brewing industry? (there may be more crossover b/t beer and law then i thought!)

so this bill (full text here) (http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2003/data/SB-489.pdf) would in essence permanently tie a brewer to a distributor in a specific region? How is this anything like a competitive free market? I find it especially weird because it's my understanding that American brewers aren't allowed to have "tied houses" like in England, but this legislation would make them have tied distributors?

here's a release i found from the wisconsin beer distributors association supporting the bill. http://thewheelerreport.com/releases/Mar04/Mar10/0310beerdistributors.PDF

[steveh]

Originally posted by studentofbeer


here's a release i found from the wisconsin beer distributors association supporting the bill. http://thewheelerreport.com/releases/Mar04/Mar10/0310beerdistributors.PDF

I don't know if I buy any of that - "...some distributors even pay breweries or other distributors for the rights to distribute certain beers?" If this is true, it sounds like payola to the big breweries, and is probably the root of the whole problem!

I'll have to talk with my local purveyor and also an old fishing buddy who works for a big distributor in Wausau - see what I can learn.

S.

[chazwicke]

I would urge every Wisconsin resident to contact the Governor and their representives about this. I'm sure you can send email to the legislature members. I have done this in Virginia with regard to issues dealing with both beer and others dealing with my industry. Also follow up with letters to the editor of the newspapers. Call attention to this issue and make it public. We have been successful doing some of these things so it is possible to have an impact.

[Moondoggy]

I must agree with everyone.

Dealing with many layers of government myself.

I found that once the light is turned on in the room the roaches tend to scramble for cover.

Clearly, there will also need to be a fair amount of money, lawyers and lobbyist to defeat this issue.

Good luck to the folks in Wisconsin.

[O2 Mash]

Thanks Steveh, I'll call

[steveh]

The second and last paragraph tell all:

"This bill is supported by some big breweries, and by some big brewery
distributors. Basically, it prevents a brewery from changing distributors to
distribute their product. Ties their hands. If a distributor is doing a poor
job selling a small brand, this bill really gives them no choice than to beg
the poor distributor to do better. Then, of course, there is no incentive
for that distributor to do better, since he can't loose the brand(s).

"I and several small brand distributors in WI are very opposed to this bill.
Bud and Miller distributors are in favor. They make the majority of their
income on the big brewery brands, and just take a little gravy without
putting too much effort into the small brewery brands.

"Case in Point (pun intended), my company, in the last 4 months, has been
awarded a total of 5 counties to sell Point Brewery Brands. These areas were
previously handled by Miller dists. They had not gotten behind the brands,
and new marketing efforts of the new owners of the Point Brewery.
Consequently, they took the rights from them, and gave them to us. We
have put money and real people effort into selling them, and have increased
our sales vs the former Miller dists. by about 40% over what they sold
during that same 5 months.

"The big dists. got with the big brewers to try to stay big, and keep the
smaller dists. and smaller brewers down. Hence, the above bill. And it
passed. The only thing to stop it would be a veto, and then a campaign to
stop an override of that veto. It really would negatively affect small
breweries like Point, Capital, New Glarus, Lakefront, Sprecher, etc.

"Get behind this effort to defeat this bill. It will only eventully hurt the
consumer by eliminating distribution, and brand choice, in buying beer."

From the Heartland,
S.