NASHVILLE — A proposal to allow supermarkets and convenience stores to stock wine would continue to limit sales of high-alcohol beer and fortified wines to liquor stores.
State Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro and fellow Republican Rep. Jon Lundberg of Bristol on Thursday introduced their bill to end the exclusive right of liquor stores to sell wine in Tennessee. Grocery store sales would be limited to wine with an alcohol content of no more than 18 percent.
The measure would put the option of whether to allow wider wine sales to voters in local cities and counties. The Republican House and Senate speakers support the change.
Opponents argue the change would unfairly disrupt the existing liquor stores business, and that the measure would make higher-alcohol drinks more widely available to minors.
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From NET News Service:
State Rep. Jon Lundberg announced today he is filing legislation to allow localities to hold referendums on whether wine should be sold in Tennessee grocery and convenience stores.
"It will be a referendum bill. Typically, liquor bills have been handled at the local level and that’s what this bill is designed to do," Lundberg, R-Bristol, said of his legislation.
Past legislative attempts to expand wine sales beyond liquor stores have failed in Tennessee. Virginia, however, allows wine to be sold in grocery stores.
Read the complete article at timesnews.net
jimbunkus writes:
January 31, 2013
10:19 AM
Lots of families drink wine at dinner and is considered to be part of their meal. people should have the right to buy Wine at a grocery store when they pick up their other groceries and should not have to travel to a Liquor store. Liquor stores will still have the right to sell hard liquor which is bought for other purposes than being part of their meal!!
mccrayj writes:
January 31, 2013
11:14 AM
And some of us merely drive across the street into Bristol Virginia and get our wine at the same store as the groceries. I haven't seen it hurt business at the State ABC Stores in Bristol Virginia. Other states in the south are the same way. Given the number of copycat legislations the Republic party senate and house has given us already, where was this one?
pctechman7 writes:
January 31, 2013
12:32 PM
It's the liquor stores that are griping about all the lost sales, sure some people will buy from the grocery stores when that happens. But if I can not find what I am looking for I will still go back to the liquor store, they have a much bigger selection.
ElmerFudd writes:
January 31, 2013
12:52 PM
This did come up in the last session, however good ole Kent Williams from Carter Co. cast the vote that shut it out. Why you might ask? Check his largest campaign contributor from Nov. 2013 election, it was the owner of 1 stop liquor in JC. (viewable on the states website). Also Kent is friends with Mark Dugger from Elizabethton that owns Parkway liquor store in Bristol. The rest of the story.
Imker writes:
January 31, 2013
3:59 PM
"Our" elected representatives are a joke. We don't have any "representatives". The first thing they do is go over to the lobbyists table and chow down, and fill up their pockets. Kent Williams cast that vote, huh? And he gets his money from the liquor stores. Figures.