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Saturday, April 7, 2012

liquor Costco To 'Cheer From Sidelines' If Private Liquor Sale Inititiative Comes to Idaho

Posted by George Prentice on Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 11:20 AM

Costco, which helped bankroll a successful campaign to privatize liquor sales in Washington State, said late Friday that it had no interest in being an active participant in a similar initiative for Idaho or Oregon—at least for now. Costco reportedly shelled out $22 million in the Washington campaign to slide state-run liquor retail operations over to private interests.

"We're going to be cheering on the sidelines," said Joel Benoliel, Costco's legal officer, referring to a possible initiative in Idaho or Oregon. "But we're not going to be leading the parade."

The Northwest Grocery Association has indicated that it preferred to skip the ballot box and try to convince the Idaho Legislature to support privatization, possibly as early as 2013.

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

liquor Grocery Lobbyist Meets With Otter About Deregulating Sales

Posted by George Prentice on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 9:37 AM

The Associated Press' John Miller reports today that a lobbyist with the Northwest Grocery Association has been meeting with Idaho officials about a possible ballot initiative that would allow liquor sales in grocery stores and large retailers like Costco.

Miller reports that NGA president Joe Gilliam met with Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, Secretary of State Ben Ysursa and their staffs on Dec. 20, to learn how to get the issue on a statewide ballot. To be eligible for this year's general election, NGA would need to secure 47,432 signatures from registered voters by April 30.

Last November, voters in Washington State opted to allow liquor sales by private retailers, rather than state-run liquor stores. The vote came in the wake of a $22.7 million campaign, supported by the NGA and funded in large part by the Costco retail chain. Beginning this June, liquor sales in Washington shift from state to grocery and warehouse stores.

The coalition against the initiative was financed mostly by wine and liquor distributors, who feared that Washington's deregulation would spread to other states.

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

liquor / legislature Idaho Senate debating liquor law reform

Posted by Nathaniel Hoffman on Thu, Mar 26, 2009 at 11:01 AM

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The Senate is debating SB 1148 right now, Gov. Otter's overhaul of state liquor licenses.


"We currently have  system where the state limits the number of licenses that are available... we artificially create wealth by the state by having the system where you put your name on a list and hope you get to the top and then sell it or you come to the Legislature and if you have enough ability to put your case forward you can get an exception," said Nampa Rep. Curt Mckenzie, who is carrying the bill and is just now opening up debate.

You can listen in live and comment below.

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

liquor / C.L. "Butch" Otter / Boise / bars Boise bar owners question Otter attorney

Posted by Nathaniel Hoffman on Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 4:44 PM

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About 20 Boise bar owners gathered at City Hall this afternoon to pepper Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's attorney with questions about proposed changes to the state's liquor quota system.


If you read Scott Weaver's story this morning on liquor license holder concerns with the changes you might think they peppered attorney David Hensley with buck shot. Now, we left the meeting early, but the tone of the first hour was remarkably civil.

Bar owners seemed to accept that the state was not going to pony up millions of dollars to buy out their licenses. Instead they wanted to know why they couldn't get larger discounts from the state-owned liquor dispensary, get rid of the Alcoholic Beverage Control arm of the State Police and why Otter's plan seems to favor new business (implied: chain restaurants under the ruse of economic development) over established local businesses.

Hensley, and Bardenay owner Kevin Settles, a key member of Otter's liquor committee, made the case that bar owners may as well get on board if they want to retain any value in their licenses.

Settles has been on two legislative committees and two governor's committees over the course of nearly a decade, attempting to retire the state role in issuing and controling liquor licenses.

"The governor has made this a priority," Settles said. "He doesn't believe in the quota system."

Hensley outlined the benefits to current bar owners contained in the 54-page bill he delivered to the legislative bill drafters today.

Anyone that holds a liquor license on the day the bill becomes law gets some benefit:
  • The state licenses are transferable anywhere in the state
  • a 10 percent discount on liquor purchases (they get 5 percent now)
  • less involvement with ABC in procuring and renewing licenses
  • less draconian fines on server violations, to accompany a new server training regimen
  • lower license renewal fees that the new class of municipal liquor license holders
  • more onus on underage drinkers and better definitions for serving drunk people

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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

liquor / C.L. "Butch" Otter / legislature Liquor task force: eliminate quota system

Posted by Nathaniel Hoffman on Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 4:40 PM

Official Otter cocktail napkin. Not Otter's official desk.

Last week, citydesk obtained a copy of Gov. C. L. "Butch" Otter's plan to eliminate Idaho's quota system on liquor-by-the-drink licenses.

In a clever scheme, worked out over the past year by a task force that includes bar owners, license holders, distributors, restaurant and hotel owners, legislators and law enforcement, the 51-page bill does preserve some value for current state liquor license holders, while opening up the flood gates for cities and counties that want to issue more liquor licenses.

In the words of Otter attorney David Hensley, who drafted the legislation, the bill "empowers local governments to issue liquor-by-the-drink" licenses and "gets the state out the business of liquor-by-the-drink licensing."

The governor will ask the Legislature to grant cities and counties the power to issue municipal liquor licenses to eating establishments (which must have a commercial kitchen and space for food preparation and eating) and lodging facilities (no, hourly rates won't cut it ... or will they?)

Any new bar that just wants to be a bar (not a saloon, pub, cathouse, motel, etc.) would need to purchase one of the 1,289 existing state licenses from a license owner who wants to sell. State licenses will be transferable anywhere in the state and will confer other benefits (10 percent discounts on booze!) to help compensate owners for the inevitable loss of value in that piece of paper that allows them to serve hard liquor.

That means the state is essentially freezing the number of straight up bars and nightclubs in Idaho at about 1,300 for perpetuity, or until Boise needs 1,301 bars, whichever comes first.

Counties will be free to regulate eating and lodging establishments that want to serve liquor within their jurisdictions.

The proposal, which Otter will likely introduce to the Legislature this session, contains many other regulations to appease anti-liquor interests, keep bar owners happy, prevent liquor law violations and even raise new revenue streams for law enforcement and local government.

Read about it in tomorrow's BW. It may be called the 2009 ABC Reform Act. It may be called something else.

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