Maryland Might Join Liberated States

February 19, 2008 by Sean
Filed under Monthly newsletter

Truly uplifting news has come out of Maryland. Two state legislators there have decided enough is enough where outdated wine shipping restrictions are concerned.

In an unusual twist, the men attempting to minimize the ability of state government to continue menacing wine consumers are Democrats. Sen. Jamie Raskin and Del. Tom Hucker, both of Montgomery Co., Md., participated in hearings this week during which they voiced the opinion that Maryland residents should no longer be prohibited from receiving wine shipments from out-of-state wineries and, presumably, retailers. Sen. Raskin

“This law dates back to the repeal of Prohibition, and it’s obsolete today,” Raskin (photo at right) said during the hearing, according to a report by The Washington Post in its Feb. 19 editions. “We have an opportunity to strike a blow for market freedom and the civilized pleasure of wine drinking.”

The Post reports there are 35 jurisdictions (states, plus the District of Columbia) that permit shipping by out-of-state wineries. There are fewer (14) that also have laws on the books specifically pertaining to shipping by out-of-state retailers, according to the Specialty Wine Retailers Association, a pro-retailer lobby.

While Maryland might represent a step forward, a huge step backward faces Illinois wine consumers who will lose the right to receive out-of-state shipments this July, following passage late last year of an ammended law that wiped out 15 years of shipping freedom for Illinois aficionados. However, there remains hope on the horizon that the Supreme Court will intervene and some day declare all individual state anti-shipping laws unconstitutional.

The hearings in Maryland, of course, were not entirely populated by pro-shipping attendees. The usual suspects — wholesalers and in-state retailers — want to protect their monopolies and therefore oppose any relaxing of restrictions in Maryland. Lawmakers who oppose open shipping always fall back on the ridiculous argument that the current laws discourage shipping of wine to minors who might attempt to order it online (as if 15 year olds routinely purchase $50+ Cabernets in search of a buzz).

One hearing attendee, the Post reports, made the excellent observation that Maryland’s laws have never stopped hard-core wine buyers from receiving out-of-state shipments. The truly motivated merely have wine shipped (legally) to their offices or friends in nearby D.C. or Virginia.