FEDERAL ISSUES IMPACTING RETAILERS

21st Amendment:

Preserve the three-tier system and states’ rights to implement beverage alcohol policies that are legal, efficient and responsible, while also recognizing the Federal role in fair trade and other issues.

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB):

Fully fund TTB to ensure that the nation’s primary federal alcohol regulator can conduct its responsibili-ties, which include enforcing the Federal Alcohol Administration Act; maintaining industry integrity through licensing; and ensuring product integrity through labeling and formula reviews.

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC):

Reduce drunk driving through the strong enforcement of the widely-accepted level of .08 BAC instead of shifting to a more onerous and problematic level of .05 BAC, which would require shifting limited en-forcement resources and focus to those adults who are responsible consumers.

Border Adjustability Tax:

Develop tax reform that will increase investment in the United States, raise real wages, and increase consumer spending without reductions in employment, reduced capital investments and higher prices for American consumers.

Category Management & Tied House:

Enforce provisions in the Federal Alcohol Administration Act that create a fair and vibrant beverage alcohol marketplace and prevent anti-competitive behavior in any segment of the industry.

Estate Taxes:

Recognize the value of family-owned businesses, including package stores, by permanently repealing the Estate Tax.

Federal Excise Taxes:

Oppose any increase of federal excise taxes on alcohol that would negatively affect beverage alcohol re-tailers and the more than 1.9 million men and women they employ.

Impaired Driving:

Engage a wide array of stakeholders to support comprehensive solutions that incorporate state and local-level policy approaches to fight drunk driving and develop greater research and information on the growing problems of drugged and distracted driving.

Marijuana:

Continue to study the effects of legalizing recreational marijuana which, where legal, should be well-regulated just as beverage alcohol is in the three-tier system.

Marketplace Fairness:

Ensure that states such as Massachusetts maintain the ability to collect taxes already owed under state laws so that local brick-and-mortar retailers can compete on a level playing field with out-of-state online sellers.

Music Licensing:

Reform the music licensing ecosystem to create a transparent, predictable and viable system that assures that licensed beverage businesses will be able to afford to support artists and share music with their customers.

Overtime Rules:

Reevaluate changes to overtime rules that more than double the previous salary threshold for overtime eligibility and affect small beverage business owners.

Postal Reform:

Ensure that any policy changes do not upset the balance of federal and state authority with respect to beverage alcohol.

S-Corp Tax Structure:

Tailor tax reform to streamline the tax code while keeping tax rates paid by businesses and individuals as low as possible.

Swipe Fees:

Preserve debit card swipe fee policies that have brought greater competition to the payment card market-place and oppose efforts to repeal pro-competitive measures.

Underage Access:

Promote responsible sales and service through vigilant beverage retailers who specialize in the sale of beverage alcohol.