Maryland considers direct shipping

[Robin Garr]

This just in from Calvert-Woodley wines in DC:

Maryland, the home of the Balitmore Orioles, great crab cakes, some fine wineries and Robert Parker, Jr & The Wine Advocate is considering direct shipping legislation that would allow Marylanders to purchase and have shipped to them wine from both in-state and out-of-state wineries and retailers.

The House Economic Matters Committee will hear testimony on HB 1260 on February 18th.

E-MAILS BY MARYLANDERS TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE NEEDED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Free the Grapes has created a simple way for Marylanders to send a message to the committee members

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON THE MARYLAND DIRECT SHIPPING LEGISLATION!
http://capwiz.com/freegrapes/issues/ale ... d=10980121

Maryland was one of the earliest states to enact felony laws against direct shippers before enacting a purposefully unworkable direct shipping law after the Supreme Court decision. Making lots of noise and getting committee members to notice the will of the people regardng this bill would be quite appropriate given the history of this state on direct shipping.

Wholesalers will come out guns blazing against this bill claiming children will die, the state will lose revenue and the three tier system in in jeapordy. It's all false.

If you live in Maryland, let the committee members know you support this bill.

Thank you, Robin! I was just about to send you the link and ask if a posting like this (political action) was OK and there it was!

[James Roscoe]

I have sent emails to every committee member, but I am not very positive about the results. The president of our State senate, a trial lawyer named Mike Miller, is the most powerful man in the state. He is so tight with the distributor's lobby that his nose is the first thing you will find if you did a colonoscopy on them. I used to know him in my legal days. He fits the type to a T. This bill will NEVER hit the Senate floor unless some other backroom deal is being done. If that is the case then Marylanders better run for their wallets.

How did this bill fare in the House Committee yesterday? Just curious as Indiana has "similar" bill which goes to House hearing tomorrow (already passed Senate).
'Winger

[James Roscoe]

My understanding is that it is out of committee and coming to the floor of the General Assembly. I doubt it will make it to the floor of the state Senate. There was an article about it in this morning's Post.

I'm extremely proud that my very own state senator, Jamie Raskin, and one of my three delegates, Tom Hucker, are the lead sponsors of the legislation in the state Senate and House of Delegates, respectively. I wish I could claim credit for this as I do contact them periodically on issues and know Jamie a bit (he's a neighbor), but much to my embarrassment, I've never raised the issue with them; they came up with the idea on their own or perhaps with the help of other constituents. I didn't even realize they were behind this until I read the newspaper this morning.

As far as prospects go, I don't know. While just freshmen, Raskin and Hucker are exceptionally smart and adept legislators who got several bills through the General Assembly in 2007, their very first year in office. On the other hand, the bad guys are being represented by one Bruce Bereano, widely considered the most powerful lobbyist in Maryland despite having a felony conviction for mail fraud and disbarment in his not-too-distant-past. On moral and ethical grounds, the lobbyist and his clients no doubt deserve one another, but it may not bode well for the ultimate outcome of the bill.

[James Roscoe]

It will never get read out of committee in the state Senate, Bruce. Mike Miller has his nose up Bereano's rear and his hands in Bereano's pockets. Mike Miller runs that branch of the legislature like his own fiefdom! Unless you are willing to vote for minority party in the state, there will NEVER be change. Those guys have been feeding at the trough for years!

James, I agree with you about Miller, but as a lifelong lefty, disagree about your proposed remedy, though I acknowledge that entrenched, unchallenged one-party rule over a period of decades can result in many of the problems you've noted. The good news is that Miller will be stepping down soon, which creates the potential to open things up more and reduce the influence of sleazebags like Bereano.

I also think plenty of change can happen -- and is happening -- in the primary process. Two years ago, Raskin unseated a longtime, entrenched incumbent, Ida Rubin, and he is bringing a lot of good ideas and energy to the legislature. Last week, in a congressional race (your district perhaps?), Donna Edwards knocked off another longtime, entrenched incumbent, Al Wynn, who ignored his constituents and did whatever the big banks, oil companies and other special interests wanted him to do.

You may well disagree with my crazy lefty perspective, but I do think positive change can happen within the Democratic Party (with the presidential primaries perhaps being example #A) as well as outside of it.

[James Roscoe]

Bruce, there is no redemption for your party in Maryland (or anywhere else for that matter). Whenever they get in power they feed at the trough like a punch of hungry hogs. Donna Edwards is the worst type of hypocrite. Obama is hardly a better choice than Clinton. And then we can start talking about the morons in MY party! I'm sick of the entire bunch! At least in Maryland, my party isn't guilty of making the state a laughing stock. Now the Democrats can't even get a simple wine-shipping law past and the Republicans will buy into the crap about killing teenagers. Yes, "I'm mad as hell, and I can't take it any more!" Rat in '08!

We're definitely coming from two very different places. Ah well, at least we can agree on the need for a direct shipping law and the joys of a good Loire Cabernet Franc, eh?