Thursday, December 16, 1999
Wine collector irked by shipping ban
Petition drive seeks Ky. repeal
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BURLINGTON — Lauren Abel is not trying to whine about wine.
But she is taking on a state law that makes it a felony to ship alcoholic beverages directly to customers who order from catalogs, from suppliers or over the Internet.
Ms. Abel, the owner of a Boone County public relations and marketing firm, collects wine along with her husband, David Smith.
Though the couple has purchased hard-to-find vintages at area retailers such as the Party Source and Cork 'N Bottle, many of the wines they would like to purchase are available only from out-of-town distributors.
“Look, I know there are a lot more important issues than this,” Ms. Abel said. “But this is a situation that is so easy to correct.”
She has begun a petition drive and lobbying effort to try to persuade state legislators to change the law.
“I find it ironic, not to mention appalling, that someone who wants to drink a few bottles of wine that were purchased on vacation and shipped from out of state is classified as a criminal,” Ms. Abel wrote in a letter to area lawmakers.
“If I buy a dress in California and have it shipped to my house, the state does not object and would never consider pressing criminal charges against me,” she said.
The law has been around since 1996, when the General Assembly passed legislation sponsored by House Majority Caucus Chairman Jim Callahan, a Wilder Democrat.
“Using a dress is a bad example,” Mr. Callahan said, “because dresses aren't regulated.”
Mr. Callahan and other supporters of the bill said mail-order companies were not paying taxes and were shipping into dry counties or to minors.
The bill targeted so-called beer-of-the-month clubs or wine clubs as well as mail-order companies that ship alcoholic beverages to mainly private homes, but also to microbreweries and retailers.
Mail-order companies were avoiding a 9 percent gross receipts tax on alcohol sales by cutting out the middleman. And because 80 of Kentucky's 120 counties are dry, they likely were also violating local liquor laws.
Mr. Callahan said individuals can arrange to receive shipments of alcohol as long as they work through a Kentucky distributor.
“I stick by the bill as it was passed,” Mr. Callahan said Wednesday. “Companies were sending wine and beer into Kentucky and not paying taxes. I think the law is very fair for that reason.” One of the arguments used by bill supporters when it passed was that juveniles were receiving alcohol through mail order companies and beer-of-the-month clubs.
“I understand that concern. To me that falls under parental responsibility,” Ms. Abel said. “I think people went a little overboard with this law, and it's doing more harm than good.”
Ms. Abel has contacted several Northern Kentucky lawmakers.
Want to join the cause? Write her at P.O. Box 569, Burlington, KY 41005, or drop her an e-mail at lauren@abelpr.com.
Mitch pitches for Jack
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a big draw for Northern Kentucky Republi cans, has agreed to help the re-election campaign of state Sen. Jack Westwood.
Mr. McConnell will be the featured speaker at a Jan. 3 fund-raiser for Mr. Westwood, a one-term Republican from Erlanger. He is challenged in next year's election by Independence Democrat Jaimie Henson.
The time and location of the event hasn't been set but will be announced next week, according to the Westwood campaign.
Woman power
The Kenton County Combined Democratic Club has its first female leader.
Magistrate Linda Scully, 38, of Latonia has been elected chairwoman of the club, which includes members of the former mens' and womens' clubs in the Kenton County Democratic Party.
The combined club is a Democratic organization but not the official party apparatus in the county. That is the Democratic Executive Committee, which is also headed by a woman, Shirley Huelsmann of Fort Mitchell.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581, or by e-mail at crowleys@cinci.infi.net.
