HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESHB 1066

BYHouse Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Locke, Niemi, O'Brien, Lux and Wineberry)

Establishing a fortified wine retailer's license.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (7)

      Signed by Representatives Wang, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fisher, O'Brien, Patrick, Sayan and Walker.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (4)

      Signed by Representatives Fisch, R. King, Sanders and C. Smith.

House Staff:Joan Elgee (786-7166)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 20, 1987

BACKGROUND:

For purposes of the Liquor Control Board provisions, "wine" means any alcoholic beverage obtained by fermentation of fruits or other agricultural product containing sugar, to which any saccharine substances may have been added before, during or after fermentation, which contains not more than 24 percent of alcohol by volume. 

A class F license authorizes a retailer to sell wine for consumption off the premises.

SUMMARY:

The definition of "wine"  is separated into "table wine" and "fortified wine".  "Table wine" is wine containing less than 15 percent of alcohol by volume and "fortified wine" is wine containing 15 percent of alcohol by volume or more.

Class F licensees in a county with a population over 300,000 (King, Pierce, Spokane, and Snohomish) are authorized to sell only table wine, except licensees whose business is primarily the sale of wine at retail may also sell fortified wine.

A new class Q license is authorized for counties with a population over 300,000.  A licensee, who is other than a retailer primarily engaged in the sale of wine, may sell fortified wine at retail for consumption off the premises.  The fee is $25 per year.  The Liquor Control Board shall issue a class Q license unless it finds that the issuance would be against public interest based on the following factors:  1) the likelihood that the applicant will sell fortified wine to persons who are intoxicated;  2) law enforcement problems in the vicinity that may arise; and 3) whether the sale of fortified wine would be detrimental to or inconsistent with a government-operated or funded alcohol treatment or detoxification program in the area.  The burden of establishing that the issuance would be against the public interest is on those persons objecting.

Fiscal Note:      Requested February 24, 1987.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representative Gary Locke; Tom Byers, City of Seattle; Casey Carmody; Jay Kidder; Tom Scott, Chinatown Chamber of Commerce.

House Committee - Testified Against:      Sydney Abrams, Wine Institute; Dick Ducharme, Beer and Wine Wholesalers.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Access to fortified wine increases the problems of alcoholism in downtown areas.  Closer regulation of fortified wine sales will not cure the problem, but will provide another tool for local jurisdictions.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      You can't control the people by regulating the product.  The result will be that alcoholics will disperse to other areas, away from treatment.