(Sacramento, Calif) The Illinois Legislature stands on the brink of passing one of the most anti-consumer pieces of special interest legislation in years. HB 429, which passed out of the Illinois House today even though hundreds of consumers contacted legislators telling them not to support the bill, would strip Illinois consumers of their long standing right to purchase wine from out-of-state wine stores. If the bill passes the IL Senate and is signed in to law, Illinois will be come one of the most regressive, anti-consumer states in the area of direct shipment of wine.

Specialty Wine Retailers Association, a Coalition of wine retailers across the country, calls on the Illinois Senate and, if necessary, Illinois Governor Blagojevich to oppose the legislation and support the consumer rather than special interests who are seeking to throw up barriers to protect themselves from competition.

"HB 429 is the epitome of using the public authority to advance private interests," said SWRA Executive Director Tom Wark. "In the past five years Illinois alcohol wholesalers have delivered $5.4 million to politicians in what can only be considered a down payment on the subversion of the public will."

For fifteen years it has been the policy of the state of Illinois to allow its residents to purchase and have shipped to them wine from out-of-state wine stores. With the 2005 Granholm v. Heald U.S. Supreme Court decision states such as Illinois needed to make technical change to their wine shipping laws. Wholesalers and some retailers in the state took this opportunity to write a bill that amounts to protectionism by forcing Illinois residents to only buy wine from in-state retailers, who are supplied by Illinois alcohol wholesalers.

"If HB 429 passes Illinois residents will no longer have access to thousands of imported and American-made wines that Illinois wholesalers do not supply to the only retail outlets that will be allowed to serve the state's wine lovers," explains Wark. "While a financial windfall for the state's alcohol wholesalers and retailers, it is a disaster for Illinois residents who have for 15 years been encouraged to purchase wine from out-of-state retailers who had what they wanted to buy but couldn't be found in Illinois."

SWRA has said previously and continues to warn that HB 429 is a blatantly unconstitutional law that is very likely to be challenged in court just as similar laws have been challenged in Texas and California.

SWRA is an association of brick and mortar and Internet-based wine retailers, wine auction houses and wine cataloguers located across the country. Its mission is to advocate on behalf of consumers and its members for fair wine laws.

Specialty Wine Retailers Association
Tom Wark, Executive Director
Phone: 707-935-4424
Cell: 707-246-6451
twark@specialtywineretailers.org