The Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) shares encouraging news from the Kentucky General Assembly last week: the successful passage of House Bill 415, the producer-only direct-to-consumer shipping bill.
KDA APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF HB 415 SHIPPING BILL (26 March 2020)
Kentucky took another bold step forward today in its continued leadership to modernize the spirits industry and end Prohibition-era policies.
This legislation is built on the landmark reforms from House Bill 400 two years ago that allowed visitors to our world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® distilleries to ship bottles home.
Now, under HB 415, our distilleries will be able to ship spirits directly to consumers in reciprocal states through online and telephone orders, a privilege that the wine industry has enjoyed for decades.
Kentucky’s HB 415 is now the model for direct-to-consumer spirits shipping in the country and provides a sound regulatory framework that ensures responsibility, the proper collection of taxes and provides enforcement tools necessary for compliance with all laws.
The new law applies to breweries and wineries, too. “During these trying and uncertain times, the passage of HB 415 will provide spirits, beer and wine producers with the means necessary to grow jobs and investment in our beloved Commonwealth,” concludes KDA President Eric Gregory.
Meanwhile distillers are contributing to the COVID-19 fight with hand sanitizer production. Hospitals, first responders and other critical employers can use this form to request hand sanitizer, as coordinated by the KDA, Team Kentucky (Cabinet for Economic Development) and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Here is a final news item from the Courier Journal, in which Deborah Yetter asks, “Why are liquor stores exempt from closing during the coronavirus pandemic?”
As Kentucky continues to tighten restrictions on retail stores and public gatherings to limit coronavirus contagion, stores that sell alcohol are allowed to remain open, raising questions about what makes them essential in a public health crisis …
