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Food with Wine Coalition Legislative/Media Project

KGA Food with Wine Coalition Logo 082707

Introduction

The Food with Wine Coalition (FWWC) is a non profit organization which was established by the Kentucky Grocers Association (now known as the Kentucky Grocers Association & the Kentucky Association of Convenience Stores) for the purpose of educating and informing Kentucky’s thought leaders about the benefits of revising existing state law to allow grocery stores to sell wine in wet and moist counties.  At present, 34 states allow grocery stores to sell wine.  Six of seven of Kentucky’s border states allow grocery stores to sell wine.

Lifestyles have changed and wine has become a healthy part of a balanced diet when consumed in moderation.  Across Kentucky, consumers are asking grocery store managers to sell wine to pair with the food that they are purchasing for dinner.  There are three compelling reasons why the law should be changed:

  • Expands consumer choice and competition in the wine marketplace
  • Supports Kentucky’s farm families by expanding the number of sales outlets for Kentucky-produced wine and increases the demand for Kentucky-grown grapes
  • Adds much needed tax revenue to the coffers of the Commonwealth without raising taxes

The FWWC retained Luke Schmidt and L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC for the purpose of developing and directing the project.

Project Scope

As consultant to the FWWC, Luke Schmidt provided the following services to the Coalition:

  • Designed project scope and established goals
  • Managed the Coalition; scheduled meetings, established Agendas and conducted meetings and teleconferences
  • Developed collateral support materials such as one-pagers, project brochure, project promotional video, Web site, etc.
  • Distributed collateral materials
  • Conducted outreach to key writers and editorial boards to all daily newspapers, key news talk radio stations and television stations; secured editorial support; served as the spokesperson for the Coalition; developed list of regional grocery industry spokespersons
  • Developed PR campaign strategy with press releases, op-ed articles; solicit/secure talk radio, television and other media opportunities
  • Started outreach to key local chambers of commerce, The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and built support for the issue
  • Developed and maintained the link with the agriculture community, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky’s grape and wine industry
  • Coordinated outreach to the Governor’s Office and Members of the General Assembly
  • Coordinated legislation development and sponsorship

Project Results

The FWWC positioned itself to lead the discussion on this issue.  Luke Schmidt led the development of various collateral materials which were used to support the Coalition’s position, including a new logo.

The Coalition developed a Web site which contains a wealth of information on the issue.  In addition, Luke Schmidt led the development of the Coalition’s promotional video .  The Coalition also produced a project brochure which was distributed to industry and legislative representatives.

The Coalition also produced a general one-pager, along with an economic impact one-pager, both of which were distributed to Members of the Kentucky General Assembly and were also distributed with press releases.

FWWC Collateral PieceAs consultant to the Coalition, Luke Schmidt developed an extensive media distribution list and called on over 40 key media outlets throughout the Commonwealth (and adjacent markets in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and West Virginia) during two statewide media tours, including television stations, talk radio stations, NPR radio stations and all daily newspapers which resulted in hundreds of positive newspaper articles, radio and television news stories.  (Many of the newspaper articles and television news reports can be viewed in the Media section on this Web site)  Three newspapers endorsed the Coalition’s position.  Press releases were issued as needed.

Luke Schmidt called on key local Chambers of Commerce in the Commonwealth’s Top 10 markets.  The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce endorsed the Coalition’s position.

The Coalition launched an initial statewide petition drive which included 110 grocery stores and which gathered 56,000 signatures.  A follow-up online petition drive secured another 18,000 signatures.  The petition drives were supported with unique in-store collateral pieces.

Summary

Luke Schmidt worked closely with a group of grocers which comprised the FWWC Steering Committee.  The grocers provided invaluable support, insight and counsel.  A true partnership was established.  Yet, Members of the Kentucky General Assembly continued to focus exclusively on critical issues such as the Commonwealth’s severe budget shortfall, unfunded pension liabilities, etc., all the while avoiding the controversial issue.  As such, the foundation to support legislation to allow grocery store wine sales was put into place;  however, the environment needed to pass the controversial legislation remained challenging at best.

The FWWC elected to take this issue to court, challenging the constitutionality of the law.  In 2012, U.S. District Court Judge John Heyburn ruled in Louisville that Kentucky’s existing law which outlawed the sale of wine in grocery stores was illegal and further stated that grocery stores should be allowed to sell wine and distilled spirits.  The ruling was appealed by the liquor store industry and the issue is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.

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Airport gets $1 M pledge (Pikeville) Appalachian News-Express

 

 

Article originally posted to the (Pikeville) Appalachian News-Express Web site http://news-expressky.com/

BY RUSS CASSADY

Editor

After months of waiting, the controversy over whether coal severance funding should be used to finance a commercial air service project at the Pikeville-Pike County Regional Airport ended Friday when it was announced that $1 million had been allocated to the project.

In a press conference at Pikeville City Hall on Friday, representatives of the groups working to establish commercial air service at the airport gathered to make the announcement, made official by a statement from Gov. Steve Beshear that the project would receive the funding.

Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn, who has been an active participant in several events and announcements this week regarding new projects in the City of Pikeville, said during the press conference that the air service project is “extremely important” to the success of the region.

“The face of Pikeville is forever changing,” he said. The commitment of $1 million in multi-county coal severance funding, Blackburn said, brings the total that those working on establishing the service have to $1.75 million, which will be used to establish a revenue guarantee program for the carrier which commits to coming to Pike County.

And, with the commitment, the air service could be established fairly quickly, according to Luke Schmidt, the consultant hired by the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of  Commerce, City of Pikeville and Pikeville-Pike County Airport Board to work on establishing the service.

“We hope to have a commitment in hand by the end of the first quarter of next year,” Schmidt said.
According to Schmidt, he works in several communities throughout the state, but that this one sets itself apart. “This is clearly one of the most progressive cities in the state,” he said. And according to Chamber President Jared Arnett, this project is just one of many that is helping to change the  business climate in Eastern Kentucky, despite questions over the energy industry.

“It’s imperative that we step up … and create a climate conducive to new investment,” Arnett said.

A statement from Beshear’s office said the successful recruitment of an airline will “significantly enhance economic development efforts and the creation of new jobs not only in Pikeville and Pike County, but also in the surrounding 12 counties.”

The funding was almost not obtained earlier this year. After announcing that the funding was  possible and that the support of Floyd County’s fiscal court had been obtained, organizers ran into questions from the Pike County Fiscal Court over the viability of the project and whether the multi-county coal severance funding, which had been uncommitted, should be used for the project.
After weeks of debate and a public forum hosted by the Appalachian News- Express, the Pike Fiscal Court voted 5-2 to support the funding. The county’s support was required for the funding to be processed.

One of the “No” voters, Dist. 6 Magistrate Chris Harris compared the funding, which will guarantee revenue for an airline, to “corporate welfare.”

“Many of us here would like to see commercial air service in Pike County; that’s not the issue,” Harris said during a fiscal court meeting. “The issue is, ‘At what cost do we want to see commercial air service in Pike County?’ At a time when we are looking at a loss of jobs, declining tax revenue, a limited amount of funding, I don’t think Pike County, right now, I don’t think we can afford this kind of project.”

Both Blackburn and Schmidt spent time on Friday thanking Pike Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford and Floyd Judge-Executive R.D. “Doc” Marshall for their support. Blackburn said that a formal check presentation ceremony for the funding, which will include Beshear’s presence will be held at a later date.

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Central Kentucky County, City to Decide if Merger Talks Continue WKYU (Western KY Univ. NPR station)

Leaders in Hardin County and Elizabethtown will decide in coming weeks whether to pursue merger talks. Ordinances establishing a unification review commission must pass Hardin County Fiscal Court and the Elizabethtown City Council.

“By law, the minimum legal requirement is that we have approval to form the commission by the county court and the largest city in the county, which in this case, would be Elizabethtown, says consultant Luke Schmidt.

If approved by those two bodies, ordinances would eventually go before each of the five remaining incorporated cities in Hardin county, which include Radcliff, Sonora, Upton, Vine Grove, and West Point.

Voters will ultimately decide if city and county governments merge when the question is put on the 2014 ballot.  In the meantime, the unification review commission will develop a plan for merged government that will deal with issues such as tax rates and the makeup of a metro council.  The commission will consist of 20 to 40 citizens appointed by the participating governments.