The general tendency of the marketplace suggests that the more open a market is, the more that can be made, traded, or sold. When a company begins manufacturing or even just setting up ordinary operations, it must call upon other companies and individuals to acquire or handle all that is needed. This includes office supplies,...
A measure that North Carolina craft distillers are counting on to help them thrive and, in some cases, simply survive is moving in the General Assembly. Senate Bill 290 was amended and debated Wednesday, June 5, in the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee, but no vote was taken. It’s expected to be approved at the next...
Sens. Joyce Waddell, D-Mecklenburg, and Andy Wells, R-Catawba, have filed legislation that would take a big step toward reforming the alcohol control system in North Carolina. The bill is based on recommendations by the N.C. Program Evaluation Division, which presented a report — “Changing how North Carolina Controls Liquor Sales has Operational, Regulatory, and Financial...
An Elon University Poll finds 52 percent of North Carolinians contacted support closing the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control system. The poll was conducted in collaboration with the General Assembly’s Program Evaluation Division, which released its report — “Changing How North Carolina Controls Liquor Sales Has Operational, Regulatory, and Financial Ramifications” — Monday, Feb. 11. The...
For North Carolina’s distillers, getting their products into ABC stores is arduous and time-consuming. Distillers must first check all the boxes pertinent to federal and state laws. The state must then approve their products before distillers send those products to Raleigh for distribution to ABC stores across the state. Which stores is up to distillers,...
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 10 a.m. Friday, March 9 The plaintiffs in a complaint challenging the constitutionality of two state laws involving beer distribution and franchise laws have filed a brief opposing a state motion to dismiss and transfer the case. The brief filed by the plaintiffs — Craft Freedom LLC, The...
Makers of craft alcohol in North Carolina — whether it’s beer, wine, or liquor — generally agree on some expected benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which the president signed in December. Mainly, lower excise taxes and some tweaking of alcohol-by-volume limits. The chance to expand and to hire more workers. To make...
Rep. John Bradford began discussion of House Bill 460 on Tuesday by saying the measure was probably long overdue. It’s a move that’s been delayed, by some accounts, for as many as 80 years. Bradford, a Mecklenburg County Republican and deputy majority whip, outlined the bill during a meeting of the Alcoholic Beverage Control standing...
One of the most powerful lobbies in North Carolina is the ABC system, which gets local officials across the state to protect their government monopoly. Now they are working furiously against the idea of simply studying privatization.
