LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – It’s easy to finding beer in Kentucky grocery stores, but the sale of wine or other liquor is prohibited in grocery stores – even in counties where alcohol sales are allowed. There’s been a push to change for several years, and now that battle is being fought in cyberspace.
“It’s a win-win” said Luke Schmidt, who represents the Food With Wine Coalition, a not-for-profit organization.
Article originally posted by WAVE-TV Web site directed to: http://www.wave3.com/story/11117288/push-continues-to-allow-ky-grocers-to-sell-wine?redirected=true
Posted: Sep 11, 2009 7:54 PM EDT Updated: Sep 30, 2009 8:18 AM EDT
By Maira Ansari
Edited By Mike Dever
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – It’s easy to finding beer in Kentucky grocery stores, but the sale of wine or other liquor is prohibited in grocery stores – even in counties where alcohol sales are allowed. There’s been a push to change for several years, and now that battle is being fought in cyberspace.
“It’s a win-win” said Luke Schmidt, who represents the Food With Wine Coalition, a not-for-profit organization.
Schmidt says grocers and the wine industry want state law changed to allow wine sales at grocery stores in counties where package liquor is already allowed.
“It’s a win for the consumer, it’s a win for the state, it’s a win for Kentucky’s winery industry, it’s a win for Kentucky’s vineyards, Schmidt said.
Schmidt has launched a website to continue his push to change the state’s liquor laws. He’s hoping other Kentuckians will use the site as a tool to put pressure on state lawmakers.
“All people have to do is visit that site, foodwithwine.org, click on the ‘Sign the Petition button.’ It will enable them to not only sign the online petition, but it will also generate a letter to their specific state senator and their specific state representative indicating that they support a change in the law, Schmidt said.
The issue has come up before without success in the Kentucky General Assembly, but Schmidt says wine sales would increase if customers can buy it in grocery stores, and that increase will boost tax revenue, giving lawmakers a way to raise more money during tough economic times.
“We estimate over the first two years when the law is fully implemented that tax revenue will increase by $30.1 million,” Schmidt said.
Not everyone wants to see the law changed. Independent wine dealers and liquor store owners like Gordon Jackson of Old Town Liquors say making their biggest selling item available in retail stores could hurt their business.
“When we look at our business, wine is the core of our business,” Jackson said. “It would affect us, there is no question. Because we’re a small store, and we work on a relatively low margin to stay competitive with the big stores.”
Currently, 34 other states allow grocery stores to sell wine, including Indiana.
If you want to check out the online petition, visit www.foodwithwine.org.