Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Wine consumers benefit from new Wisconsin law
By Mary Lazich
Thursday, Oct 16 2008, 12:04 PM
Wisconsin consumers will now have greater ease at purchasing wines under a new winery-to-consumer shipping law that went into effect October 1, 2008. The law will allow wineries to purchase permits for $100 and ship up to a dozen cases of wine per person per year.
Wisconsin had been one of only three reciprocal shipping states that had allowed only wineries in participating states to make shipments. When states converted to permits, Wisconsin consumers experienced difficulty finding wines under the old law. Now, all U.S. wineries will be eligible under Wisconsin’s permits. Consumers will no longer be limited to purchases from a handful of states as a winery in any state may ship wine directly to a Wisconsin resident once the winery has received a direct wine shipper permit from Wisconsin.
This is a common-sense, reasonable, pro-consumer law that complies with regulations while supporting Wisconsin’s own growing wine industry. One of the other provisions of the new law requires that all sales to retailers go through a wholesaler.
Here is a Wisconsin Legislative Council memo on Senate Bill 485 that was approved by the Legislature and signed into law during March 2008.
