Even setting aside questions of church and state for a moment(!), there are some interesting things going on in North Carolina … [level-members]
It seems that a group of distributors has enlisted the help of a religious organization in their attempt to defeat a proposal by small brewers in the state who would like more leeway to distribute their own products.
It reads as desperate as it sounds.
While this might be the kind of thing we’d file under Industry News, the article is a reminder that it’s worthwhile to stay informed about what’s going on at the state level. If you’re in a state where distributors hold an enormous amount of power over what you can and can’t sell, you really should know what is holding their interest on any given day.
Those distributors, you can be sure, spend time and money staying as cozy as they can with state lawmakers to make sure that know what’s being considered at the state level. You should be at least that aware, even if you’re not in the habit of employing expensive lobbyists.
The article I read that inspired this little rant is on Tom Wark’s Fermentation blog. You can read it here. And then find out what kind of retailer association there is in your state and how active and effective it is. It may be time for you to get involved. [/level-members]