MD Wine Shipping Bill
It looks like a hearing will be held on February 18, 2008 at 1:00 PM to discuss the MD Wine Bill. If the bill (read the bill here) is passed into law, we Marylanders will be allowed to order wine online and have it shipped to our homes. This would be great for those of us that can’t find wines we want on the shelves of our local wine shops, or for those wines that are available by mailing lists only.
The deadline less than a week away means we have little time to write our congressmen and congresswomen showing our support for the bill. As pointed out by “Irwin” on the Wine Spectator forums, you can write a letter using the following:
From the WS Forums:
If you are motivated to write a letter in support of the Md. wine bill, which is either HB-1260, or SB 616, you could write to:
Del. Tom Hucker
House of Delegates
Suite 220
6 Bladen Blvd
Annapolis, MD 21401
ATTN: Maria Topper
tom.hucker@house.state.md.us
If you email an attachment in “Word”, it will be sent to the Senate committee.
The House committee is “Economic Matters” and has scheduled a hearing on 2/18 at 1PM. Letters should be received by them prior to that.
Also, as Irwin points out: “It costs nothing to express your opinion”
Finally: Thanks to Chris from the forums for this information:
Here is the link to the senate version:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2008RS/billfile/sb0616.htm
Here is the link to the house version:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2008RS/billfile/hb1260.htm
Here is a link to contact your local legislators:
http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/
Another great link provided by Tom Wark, of the SWRA:
Great news, I hope it passes keep us informed, we need more of these bills! I support the passage although I am not a resident I see people suffer for the silly shipping laws constantly, people should be free to ship wine to themselves!
Looks like the MD Senate Economic, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee is going to hear the direct wine shipping issue on Friday, 3/7 at 1pm. All those Marylanders who are suffering through the same shipping woes should plan on attending and testifying.
EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Senator Joan Carter Conway, Chair
Senator Roy P. Dyson, Vice Chair
2 West Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401-1991
(410-841-3661 Annapolis/Baltimore Area; 301-858-3661 Washington, D.C. Area)
Anyone wishing to testify on any bill must sign the witness register by 12:40 p.m. If you have written testimony, please submit 20 copies to the committee staff by 12:00 Noon for distribution prior to the hearing; after 12:00 Noon, please submit at the time you testify. The order that bills are listed on the schedule is not necessarily the order in which they will be heard.
FRIDAY MARCH 7, 2008
1:00 P.M.
SB 496 Sen Della Baltimore City – Alcoholic Beverages Licenses -
Restaurants in Business Planned Unit Development
SB 584 Sen Della, et Baltimore City – Alcoholic Beverages Act of 2008
al
SB 592 Sen Pinsky Micro-Breweries – Sales of Malt Beverages to
Retail Licensees
SB 616 Sen Raskin, et Alcoholic Beverages – Direct Wine Shipper’s
al License
SB 626 Sen Muse Prince George’s County – Alcoholic Beverages -
Convention Center License
SB 675 Sens Brinkley Carroll County – County Commissioners
& Kittleman
SB 716 Sen Alcoholic Beverages – Home Brewing Instructor’s
Klausmeier, et Permit
al
SB 745 Sen Colburn, Alcoholic Beverages – Definitions – Beer
et al
SB 837 Sens Muse & Prince George’s Co – Alc Bevs – Waterfront
Peters Entertainment Retail Complex and Wine Festival
[...] to a comment by “Oscar” on this post for bringing this to my attention. A full version of his comments are up for discussion on the [...]
[...] those of you who missed this post, this post, and this post…the Maryland state senate will be in session tomorrow to vote on SB-616 (among other things) [...]