ABL committee eyeing ignition interlocks
Pub Date: 11/1/2005
Ignition interlocks, continuing tax threats, alcohol nutritional labeling, increasing credit card fees and more were covered during two sessions of the American Beverage Licensees Government Affairs Committee at the group's quarterly board meeting in Dallas Sept. 17-19.
First, ABL Washington Counsel Rick Berman gave a report on Capitol Hill developments that have a bearing on ABL member businesses.
He noted that the recent hurricanes had knocked Congress off its course so that action making tax cuts permanent, especially in capital gains, was likely to be delayed, as is action to allow association health insurance plans.
"Iraq, then the Supreme Court nominations were sucking all the oxygen out of Congress. Now it is the hurricanes," Berman said.
He noted the permanent suspension of the Special Occupational Tax was, however, just that permanent because it was a part of the federal highway spending bill which had already passed.
Berman suggested that every alcohol retailer who had saved the annual $250 fee ought to use just a part of that to pay dues to join a local business association affiliated with the ABL.
He also covered the Lautenberg amendment that had been stripped out of the highway bill and would have required expensive ignition interlock devices in questionable circumstances with questionable effect.
ABL campaigned to defeat the amendment and was successful.
Berman urged ABL to hold the line on interlocks and warned that mandatory interlocks potentially in all vehicles would have to be resisted again at the federal and especially state levels where companies that make them will push hard for such mandates.
Mandatory ignition interlocks set to the lowest possible blood alcohol content (BAC) could end the tavern business as it would surely end the enjoyment of any social drinking, Berman said.
He said he didn't think minimum wage legislation would get much traction in the near future, but noted activity at the state level could be expected to continue, and added that states that have already set minimum wages above the federal level, would simply raise them again if a federal wage passed.
Berman said he thought Congress would already be acting with an eye toward the 2006 election cycle, with politicians "taking positions based on their election politics," highlighting the need for a potent ABL political action committee.
Berman told ABL directors that the issue of alcohol beverage nutritional and content labeling is increasingly of importance as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) had recently released an issues paper that essentially made the case to begin setting requirements for labeling. (See more detailed account elsewhere in this edition.)
The specter of nutritional labeling for tavern drinks menus was raised with board members pointing out that there are infinite varieties of cocktail concoctions that would create expensive, confusing labeling nightmares for both retailers and consumers.
ABL directors decided to ask TTB to delay in pushing labeling requirements at least until a formal rule-making process can be brought to bear and to send a letter on behalf of the nation's retailers requesting a delay.
Government Affairs Committee chair Dennis Cooper initiated a discussion of issuing report cards for members of Congress, detailing how they voted on small business issues of interest to ABL members.
The committee in a later formal session decided to ask the executive offices to begin the formulation of a "report card."
Editor's note: Reports of ABL board proceedings are, by necessity, heavily excerpted.
Source: ABL Leader, November, 2005, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.