The following statement can be attributed to Jarron Springer, president of the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association
“The Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association remains committed to the effort to change Tennessee’s antiquated liquor laws to allow for the sale of wine in retail food stores. We are in business to serve our customers, and they have told us time and again that they want to purchase wine where they shop for food.
“As you may have heard, we are at an impasse with the legislature, and the ‘wine in retail food stores’ bill will not be heard this year. The makeup of the Senate State & Local Government Committee and the House State & Local Government Committee has not changed in some time, and a majority of the current members are not eager to vote for our bill. Everyone knows that if the bill were to be heard by the full legislature, it would pass.
“In the months to come, we ask that you get to know who represents you in the legislature. Please press legislative candidates for their position on the issue of wine in retail food stores, and vote accordingly. When possible, Red White and Food will share information about the candidates to help you make an informed decision prior to Election Day.
“To the 27,000-plus members of Red White and Food, we thank you for your support. We are confident the issue of wine in retail food stores will be back in 2013. We’re not giving up, and we hope you will join us in our continued fight to give consumers what they want – the ability to purchase wine where they shop for food.”
Today has been rife with rumors and misleading updates regarding the issue of wine sales in retail food stores. We’re here to set the record straight. Opponents of wine in retail food stores will do whatever it takes to kill any bill that might remove liquor stores’ monopoly on wine sales. In this case, they are anxious to lead the public to believe that our campaign is giving up. That is not the case.
While our opponents are correct to say that no companion bill has been filed with Rep. Jon Lundberg’s HB 2874, there is already a bill that provides a vehicle to achieve our goal. Sen. Bill Ketron and Rep. Lundberg filed legislation last year (SB 318/HB 560) that is a “referendum bill.” This legislation, which is alive and well, would allow individual municipalities to decide whether wine should be sold in retail food stores.
Although we face a battle as we fight for votes from elected officials with strong ties to the liquor lobby, please do not listen to misleading news from the opposition. If anything, raise your voices even louder and continue to contact members of the Senate State and Local Government Committee the House State and Local Government Committee and demand that they listen to the 69 percent of Tennesseans who support wine in retail food stores.
Ultimately, this is not over. We will continue to fight until Tennesseans get what they want – the ability to buy wine where they shop for food.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press covered the issue of wine sales in Tennessee retail food stores in its Perspective section on Sunday, Jan. 22. Although the full story is unavailable online at this time, here is the story as it appeared in the print version of the paper.
Springer’s summarizes why wine should be allowed in retail food stores:
Tennesseans want it – A 2011 MTSU study found that 69 percent of Tennesseans support wine sales in retail food stores.
It’s logical – Wine pairs well with dinner.
Consumer choice and convenience – Consumers should have the option of choosing where they purchase wine and not have to make an extra trip.
Monopoly – Liquor wholesalers and store owners want to protect their monopoly because, without competition, they can charge higher prices.
Revenue and jobs – Wine sales in retail food stores would create more jobs in Tennessee and increase revenue for state and local governments.
Teen drinking and DUIs – The FBI found that states with wine in grocery stores had a lower average of youth DUIs and liquor violations per 100,000 residents than states that did not allow wine sales in food stores.
Referendums – The Red White and Food campaign would support allowing voters to decide this issue for their municipalities.
White attempts to undermine these principles with a few ludicrous points:
States such as Kentucky and New York have not passed legislation allowing wine sales in grocery stores because they “shelve it out of concern for small business and public safety.” Those concerns would be honorable, but are not the reason officials are against wine sales. Legislators vote against this legislation under the guise of public safety, but are actually protecting the liquor lobby. Just because legislation has not been passed allowing wine sales in food stores in more than 25 years does not make it right. If we operated under that assumption, our country might still believe that women should not have the right to vote or African-American students should not attend schools with children of other races.
Large grocery store chains want to increase their own profits. Large grocery store chains are not the only food stores in support of this – don’t forget about smaller, locally owned stores. Secondly, what is the point of business if not to make a profit? Don’t tell us the wholesalers and liquor store owners aren’t trying to maintain their monopoly to increase their own profits. And don’t tell us grocery stores are the only ones with a wallet in this battle – how long has the liquor lobby financially supported legislators?
Increased revenue means more people are drinking. A Cornell University economist found that states in which wine makes up a larger part of total alcohol consumption tend to have lower rates of traffic fatalities. Also, research has shown that wine consumption can provide health benefits. Let’s not demonize a beverage that most of the rest of the world considers an integral part of a meal.
Wholesalers are committed to an effective alcohol distribution system. Like any other business, wholesalers aim to maximize profits. By protecting the status quo, they keep competition at a minimum. As Springer states in his column, “The last thing wholesalers want to do is deal with multiple-store buyers who might challenge their total control of wine distribution and prices.”
Tennessee wholesalers are locally owned businesses that support our communities. This is most certainly true, but please do discount grocery stores’ community involvement, too. Even national chains hire local employees who send their children to local schools. The stores contribute to local economies by paying taxes. They support local Little League teams, allow Girl and Boy Scouts to fundraise outside of their stores, and sponsor fundraising and community events.
Whom do you agree with? Let us know by leaving a comment below. Or, if you live in the Chattanooga area, submit a letter to the editor. Simply click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.
As the Tennessee General Assembly reconvened in Nashville last week, I imagine some of our legislators triumphantly returning to the Capitol in a manner similar to Randy Quaid’s character in Independence Day. It’s sure to be another exciting session – one that we’ll be following closely.
Hello, boys! I'm back!
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Tuesday marked the official start of session for the Tennessee General Assembly and the sixth consecutive session during which bills would be filed to allow wine sales in Tennessee retail food stores. Will 2012 be the year?
We are closer than ever – each year, the Red White and Food campaign and its more than 26,000 members help spread the word about the issue, contact elected officials and submit letters to the editors of their local newspapers. Let’s keep up the momentum!
Just last week, the Washington Post reported on new research that found that “states where wine makes up a larger part of total alcohol consumption tend to have lower rates of traffic fatalities.”
And just to recap for our new readers, the main reasons we believe Tennesseans should support wine sales in Tennessee retail food stores are:
Consumer choice – Consumers should be allowed to choose where they buy their wine. Visitors to Tennessee repeatedly ask “Where’s the wine?” as they wander the aisles of our grocery stores.
Convenience – Consumers should not have to make an extra trip to pick up a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner. Wine is a logical complement to groceries.
Competition – Competition is healthy and levels the playing field. Consumers should not be imprisoned by liquor store and distributor prices. “Just say no” to monopolies.
State revenue –The estimated fiscal impact of wine sales in retail food stores according to the Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee would be $13 million in state revenue and $9 million in local revenue. In addition, residents in border cities have a choice as to where they purchase their groceries and wine, and often cross into Arkansas or Georgia for the lower prices and better selection. Last year, a retail store chose to build in Georgia instead of Chattanooga, Tenn., because it could sell wine there!
Responsible sales – Retail food stores are required to card for alcohol sales to all consumers.
Many of our opponents claim that allowing wine sales in Tennessee retail food stores will only increase instances of underage drinking and drunk driving. While we want to know how many 18-year-olds want to drink (or can afford) wine at their parties, the statistics are on our side:
New research last week in the Washington Post – read it here.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, states without wine in grocery stores had an average of 8.2 youth DUIs per 100,000 residents, while states that allowed wine in grocery stores had an average of 6.8 per 100,000 residents.
The FBI also found that states allowing wine sales in retail food stores had an average of 21.7 fewer youth liquor violations per 100,000 residents than states without wine in grocery stores.
We look forward to a lively session and encourage you to keep up the good fight. As always, here are a few ways you can participate in the Red White and Food campaign:
In an editorial this week, The Leaf-Chronicle stated its support for a referendum to allow Tennessee voters to decide whether they want wine in grocery stores. The Leaf-Chronicle sees it as “a democratic process that permits the residents to choose their own standards.”
“As we’ve said before, the government shouldn’t be in the position of protecting one business’ interests over another. The referendum process would put the matter into the hands of the people to decide how best to handle it in the communities where they live.”
Read the full editorial here. Be sure to leave a comment letting The Leaf-Chronicle know that you agree!
A week after sharing her opinion about Nashville’s archaic beer laws, Tennessean columnist Gail Kerr continued to wade through the sludge of Tennessee’s unfair alcohol regulations. On Dec. 26, Kerr took a look at an issue that has garnered the support of more than 26,000 Tennesseans over the past few years: wine sales in retail food stores.
Red White and Food member (and new mom) Meredith Hunter spoke with Kerr on the issue saying:
“It’s a hassle to get in the car and drive to another location. It wastes time and gas and adds extra stress to everyday errands. The prospect of multiple stops is now more of a problem for me because I have a newborn. Going to the store for essentials has turned into a production, so these days, I critically evaluate whether an extra stop is really worth it. The liquor lobby has been loudly and insistently making their desires known for decades, and I’m sick of our legislators only listening to one agenda.”
Thank you, Meredith, for voicing an opinion that reflects the sentiment of thousands of your fellow Tennesseans. Here’s to hoping our elected officials pay attention to their constituents this session – cheers!
The Johnson City Press is asking for reader feedback to the question “Should grocery stores be allowed to sell wine in Tennessee?” Read the full piece here.
So, what are you waiting for? Residents of Johnson City should submit comments to:
Mailbag
P.O. Box 1717
Johnson City, TN 37605
Comments can also be submitted via email to mailbag@johnsoncitypress.com.
Be sure to include your name, telephone number and address for verification. Responses will run on the Opinions page in future issues.
Tennessean columnist Gail Kerr wrote a piece today on Nashville’s archaic beer laws that touched on the illogical framework of the Volunteer State’s wine laws. Kerr writes,
“Tennessee’s state liquor laws befuddle the imagination, with sales of wine forbidden in grocery stores and sales of corkscrews forbidden in liquor stores. Add another layer — Nashville’s even more restrictive beer laws — and it can be a challenge for restaurant owners to get legal permission to sell what their customers want.”
The Beacon Center of Tennessee, an organization dedicated to providing free market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee, recently awarded the 2011 Lump of Coal Award to the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Tennessee. The award is given “to the person or group in Tennessee who, more than any other during the past year, acted as a Grinch to Tennesseans by bah-humbugging the principles of liberty and limited government.” Click here to read the full story.
We couldn’t agree more that the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Tennessee deserves this award. If you agree, don’t be a Scrooge – leave a comment below or share the story on Facebook or Twitter. Or (even better) submit a letter to the editor to your local paper, like this.
