Dear Wine Lovers….30 Seconds Is All It Takes
Seven years ago, Massachusetts wine shipping law was ruled to be discriminatory and unconstitutional. It took four years for the state to pass a new wine shipping law. Now, three years after that, the state can finish the job.
When Massachusetts passed its wine shipping law in 2014, it failed to allow Bay Staters to purchase wine from out-of-state wine stores and retailers, only from out-of-state wineries. The result was a severely flawed law that left thousands and thousands of imported wines, domestic wines and rare and fine wines out of reach for Massachusetts wine lovers.
Massachusetts House Bill 3891 would fix this. The bill will get a hearing on September 12 and right now Massachusetts wine drinkers need to weigh in and tell members of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure to support the bill and send it on to the House Floor.
If you live in Massachusetts, CLICK HERE TO TAKE 30 SECONDS TO SEND YOUR LETTER TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
It’s also notable that H3891 would also fix another problem with Massachusetts law. Get this: Massachusetts retailers may not legally ship wine out of the state to residents in other states. I’m unaware of any other state that actually bans its own retailers from shipping out-of-state. H3891 fixes this problem too.
The National Association of Wine Retailers (disclosure: I’m the Executive Director) as well as a number of top MA retailers and consumers support passage of 3891.
Even if you don’t live in Massachusetts, you can help move this bill forward: Use your Facebook and LinkedIn contacts and find all your friends and contacts living in MA. Ask them to send a letter to committee members by using this link. Ask them to educate themselves about the bill and MA wine shipping by visiting this WineFreedom link.
Very little pro-wine consumer legislation gets passed in any U.S. state without significant input and urging by consumers themselves. self-serving elements of the wine industry use their pull to put a stop potential laws that are consumer friendly. This is an opportunity for all consumers, whether in MA or not, to help move forward legislation that really does help consumers.
Not only does Md. also prevent its retailers from shipping out of state, but it prevents them from shipping in state as well, and Md. retailers supported the passage of that measure.
Sick!