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 Two state legislators there have decided enough is enough where outdated wine shipping restrictions are concerned.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.

“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 ringtones for prepaid verizon wireless phone,ringtones for verizon wireless phonenextel ringtones cddownload free ringtones wwe100 free mobile ringtones virgincingular media mall ringtonescelcom caller ringtonesfree ringtones for verizon prepaid phone,free ringtones for verizon phonefree mp3 nokia ringtonescricket ringtones,cricket phone ringtones,cricket info kyocera remember ringtonesblue tooth free ringtones,download free blue tooth ringtonesfree phone real ringtones sprintfree polyphonic ringtones samsungcell free phone ringtones samsungmake your own free ringtones,free make mp3 own ringtones,free make own ringtonescingular free music real ringtonesfree ringtones for alltel wireless,free real music ringtones for alltel,alltel ringtonesfree make own ringtonesalltel free real ringtonesringtones composer,hindi ringtones composer,1600 composer nokia ringtonesfree logo nokia phone ringtones,free ringtones for sprint phone nokia 3588i,free nokia phone ringtonesunlimited music ringtonesfree real ringtones for verizoncingular ringtones spainshcingular free phone ringtonesfree banana phone ringtones,banana phone ringtonesfree nokia 1100 ringtonesfree cell ringtones,free cell ringtones wallpaper,send free ringtones to cellpolyphonic ringtones for motorola i730,motorola polyphonic ringtones v60i,motorola polyphonic ringtonesno credit payday loanguaranteed payday loancost loan low paydayinternet payday loan law,internet loan payday,business internet loan payday startno fax required payday loanpayday loan no faxing requiredbad credit guaranteed loan paydaymilitary payday loan,loan military overseas payday,loan military paydaypayday loan on linecalgary payday loan,calgary loan paydayfaxing loan no payday requiredaccount bank loan no paydayfast fax loan no paydayaafes loan paydayjeu poker en ligneregle du jeu du pokerles regles de pokerworld poker series 2007sites poker en lignemeilleur poker onlinejeux poker omaha gratuitesjeu de poker 3d 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.

– Steve Woodward

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 4:04 pm and is filed under Monthly newsletter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.