Tucked into Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) much-discussed budget was a little-noticed provision to overhaul the state’s regulation of the beer industry. In a state long associated with beer, the provision will make it much more difficult for the Wisconsin’s burgeoning craft breweries to operate and expand their business by barring them from selling directly to restaurants and liquor stores, and preventing them from selling their own product onsite.
The new provision treats craft brewers — the 60 of whom make up just 5 percent of the beer market in Wisconsin — like corporate mega-brewers, forcing them to use a wholesale distributor to market their product. Under the provision, it would be illegal, for instance, for a small brewer located near a restaurant to walk next door to deliver a case of beer. They’ll have to hire a middle man to do it instead.
But more noteworthy than the provision itself is how it was enacted. The provision was quietly slipped in the massive budget legislation without any consultation from independent craft brewers, who are justifiably outraged by it. One group that clearly did have input, however, is one of the world’s largest beer makers — MillerCoors:
Library of Congress
Elsewhere — even I think the media’s reaction to the release of Sarah Palin’s gubernatorial emails is way over the top. Moosewoman is not only old news; she not really a politician any more. She’s more like an entertainer whose act is politics as performance art.
More on the Newt Implosion — the staffers who resigned felt Newt and Callista were more interested in selling books and films than in running for office. See also Chris Cillizza’s “Fall of the House of Newt.”
Finally, there’s a lot of buzz that Rick Perry will step in to fill the much-needed void left by Newt. Yes, I’m sure America is ready to elect another governor from Texas, especially one with this history. What’s one more clown in the clown car, I say.