Just how much do America’s alcohol distributors pay to keep their stranglehold over legislatures across the country where anti-consumer and anti-shipping legislation that only benefits distributors is passed on a regular basis? According to data collected by Specialty Wine Retailers Association using FollowTheMoney.org, alcohol distributors have given more than $45 million to state politicians across the country since the year 2000. Interestingly, more than half of that amount was contributed by alcohol distributors in just five states: TEXASHow Much: More…

Yesterday a law went into effect in the state of Ohio that is not only begging to be overturned but is exactly as Jim Gorden describes it: "To me it just sounds like pure political muscle. People in the wine business in Ohio have restricted the free market, have limited Ohio consumers’ access to wonderful wines from out of state, and have, as I see it, legislated themselves more profits." The new law only allows wineries making less than 60,000…

State to resident wine lover: Yes, you may buy wine from an out-of-state winery, but you must first visit that winery. Wine Loving Resident to State: But, I just want the wine, I don’t want to visit them; plus, wouldn’t flying to Oregon add a bit of expense to the case of wine that I want. State to resident wine lover: That’s not my problem. Wine Loving Resident to State: We’ll see about that when we meet in Court. Court…

In Brown v. Board of Education the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in schools violated the 14th Amendment. Oliver Brown was An African-American parent of a young girl. This did not mean that only African American children were protected by the 14th Amendment In New York Times v. Sullivan the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public officials could not sue a publication over inaccurate information published by mistake. The New York Times was a newspaper. That  did not…