The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee met this morning and discussed the wine in retail food stores legislation. Here’s what happened during the meeting:

• An amendment was introduced to remove Sunday hours for liquor stores from the legislation. The amendment passed.
• The committee then took a vote on the legislation, resulting in a tie. Five members voted YES, five members voted NO, and one member PASSED.

A note about amendments: Sen. Douglas Henry was one of the five members who voted against the bill in committee this morning. He had previously expressed his support for the referendum bill but is uncomfortable with liquor being available on Sunday. The committee members passed an amendment today that would have removed Sunday hours for liquor stores from the legislation. However, a fact about the legislative process is that amendments live separately from the bill. When the bill reaches the Senate floor for a vote by the full Senate, amendments will be brought up individually and voted on again. So the amendment allowing Sunday hours for liquor stores could very well come back and be made law. Sen. Henry said in committee that he supports wine sales in retail food stores. He does not support Sunday hours for liquor stores. That is why he voted no today. But overall, Sen. Henry supports giving Tennesseans the right to vote on where they purchase wine and has stated he will vote for passage of the bill if the amendment regarding Sunday sales is completely removed, which it can be.

A tie vote gives the wine referendum bill the opportunity to be heard again in committee. The legislation is scheduled to be heard again during the next Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 9.

Despite reports to the contrary, the referendum bill is still in play until the legislative session officially comes to a close. We’re not done fighting.

Please contact the members of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee who voted YES this morning and thank them for looking out for Tennessee consumers.

• Sen. Steven Dickerson, sen.steven.dickerson@capitol.tn.gov, (615) 741-6679
• Sen. Bill Ketron, sen.bill.ketron@capitol.tn.gov, (615) 741-6853 (Note: Sen. Ketron is the bill sponsor.)
• Sen. Randy McNally, sen.randy.mcnally@capitol.tn.gov, (615) 741-6806
• Sen. Mark Norris, sen.mark.norris@capitol.tn.gov, (615) 741-1967
• Sen. Bo Watson, sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov, (615) 741-3227

Please contact Sen. Ferrell Haile, who passed on voting, and ask him to reconsider his stance. Tell him that you want the right to vote on where wine is sold in your community.

• Sen. Ferrell Haile, sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov, (615) 741-1999

NO votes are as follows:

• Sen. Lowe Finney
• Sen. Douglas Henry
• Sen. Joey Hensley
• Sen. Jim Kyle
• Sen. Doug Overbey

We’ll keep you posted on further developments. Thanks for your support.

Earlier today, a group of law enforcement officials held a news conference at Legislative Plaza to come out against the sale of wine in retail food stores. Their main argument was an increase in underage drinking, which studies have shown is not an effect of allowing wine in retail food stores in the 36 other states already allowing these sales.

Today’s conference is the first time in the five years the issue has been debated that law enforcement members have officially come out against the issue. We look forward to a continued discussion with them and representatives of the liquor stores about increasing Tennessee wine sales, and we look forward to Tennesseans’ having the opportunity to vote on it.

Below is a statement from Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association president Jarron Springer in response to the conference:

It is disappointing that the liquor retailers would hide behind law enforcement officials in an effort to keep Tennessee consumers from having a voice in the wine in retail food stores debate.

A vote by the legislature in favor of the proposed bill will not place wine in our stores. Passage would only allow local communities to decide through a referendum as to whether wine would be available at retail food stores.

We respect law enforcement and have worked closely with them on the issue of underage drinking. The issue of wine in retail food stores has been debated for five years, and the statements made today mark the first time that a group of law enforcement officials has officially come out against the measure. We can only take that as a sign that the liquor lobby is concerned about the possibility of the bill passing and led the effort to bring the group together this morning.

If law enforcement is concerned about increased access to alcoholic beverages, then surely they will be opposed to future referendums on liquor-by-the-drink and package store availability, which are also handled on the local level.

The statement that increased access to wine is a public safety issue has been proved false by numerous sources, including the FBI. Wine sales in retail food stores are not linked to drunk driving or underage drinking. A study issued in December 2011 by the American Association of Wine Economists and Cornell University showed that “states with higher rates of wine consumption as a share of total alcohol consumption have lower rates of traffic fatalities.”

In addition, states that allow the sale of wine in grocery stores had an average of 21.7 fewer youth liquor violations per 100,000 residents than did states without wine in grocery stores (FBI).

Tennessee’s retail food stores asked for and helped to pass the Responsible Vendor Law. Under this law, all customers purchasing alcohol at a retail food store must show proof of age. Liquor stores do not have to abide by the same requirements.

Again, retail food stores look forward to a healthy and civil legislative debate on the subject of wine in retail food stores and the bill to allow local referendums. Upward of 70 percent of Tennesseans want to purchase wine where they shop for food. We urge the Tennessee General Assembly to let Tennesseans vote on this issue.

It’s been a great couple of weeks for the Red White and Food campaign in the media, and it all started with the Associated Press story that came out Sunday, Dec. 2, in which Speaker Beth Harwell and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey expressed their support for legislation to allow the sale of wine in retail food stores.

If you haven’t already, you can read The Tennessean’s article at http://tnne.ws/TXPi7V.

Positive coverage for wine in retail food stores has shown up in articles and TV broadcasts, not just statewide, but in media outlets as far away as Washington, D.C., and Seattle!

Here are a few of the highlights closer to home:
• Chattanooga Times Free Press editorial in support of wine in retail food stores: http://bit.ly/YxG7lZ
• Gail Kerr’s Tennessean column toasting Speaker Harwell and Lt. Gov. Ramsey for their support of the wine in retail food stores legislation: http://tnne.ws/RC2a8n

Our followers have built on this momentum by sending more than 1,000 messages of thanks to Speaker Harwell and Lt. Gov. Ramsey, as well as more than 400 messages to Sen. Bill Ketron, who, along with Rep. Jon Lundberg, is sponsoring legislation that would give Tennesseans the opportunity to vote on wine in retail food stores.

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to vocalize your support to these legislators, please go to http://foodaction.net/tgcsa/default.aspx, customize the messages with your personal information and send away.

In the meantime, happy holidays from Red White and Food!

 Red White and Food Members,

January 2013 marks the beginning of a new Tennessee General Assembly and an opportunity to renew the push for the sale of wine in retail food stores.

On Thursday, Aug. 2, registered voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots for state primary and county general elections. Your participation in the election process is very important – the 2012 state legislative elections will determine whether we can pass legislation in 2013 that will finally allow Tennesseans to purchase wine where they shop for food.

Action Items:
1)      Cast your vote on Aug. 2 (or during early voting, which ends on July 28).

2)      Prior to the Nov. 6 general election, get to know the legislative candidates in your district and find out if
they support the sale of wine in retail food stores. Attend events in your community, ask questions and
get involved.

3)      Share what you learn about the candidates. Use Red White & Food’s Facebook and Twitter pages
to tell us (and your fellow RWF members) where candidates stand, and start the conversation for
change in 2013.

We’re not giving up the fight to rewrite Tennessee’s archaic liquor laws. Get out and vote.

Thanks for your support,
The Red White & Food Team

*******

Need to know more about the election?

If you reside in a district that ends in an even number, both your state senator and your state representative are up for re-election. If you reside in an odd-numbered district, your state representative is up for re-election.

For more information about the elections and candidates in your district, visit the Tennessee state government election website.

To learn who currently represents you in the state legislature, visit http://www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators/.

Jarron Springer, TGCSA President

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.

The countering guest columns were written by Jarron Springer, president of the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association, and Trey White, president of Athens Distributing Co. of Chattanooga.

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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:

• Voice
• Submit a letter to your state legislators asking them to support wine sales in retail food stores.
• Submit a letter to the editor to your local newspaper.
• Write a blog post about the issue. Be sure to send us a link on Facebook or Twitter if you do – we may even add you to our blogroll!

• Join
• Visit www.redwhiteandfood.com to become a Red White and Food member.
• Work with the Red White and Food campaign team to spread the word in your community. Email us to volunteer.

• Share
• Encourage your friends and family members to join too. Educate them about the issue.
• Follow us on Twitter.
• Like us on Facebook.

As always, thank you for your support!

Cheers!
The Red White and Food Team

In December, we posted about the Johnson City Press asking readers for their opinion on wine in grocery stores. The response must have been great–the Johnson City Press ran several responses it received in its Dec. 28 edition. You can view them here.

Keep it up, Tri-City residents! Keep that supportive feedback coming–send it to your local papers and your state elected officials.

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!