Old New Priorities
Washington moves slowly (and not at all in August), and it typically takes several years to conceive, articulate, introduce, support, and pass any piece of legislation. In addition, often the smaller, “stand-alone” bills are folded into larger “omnibus” measures, which means they get held up even more.
Still, we’re encouraged that a couple of WineAmerica priorities have resurfaced recently: the USPS Shipping Bill which would allow the postal service to ship wine, beer, and spirits directly to consumers the way FedEx and UPS now do with wine; and a Music Licensing bill to ensure more transparency and fairness in the use of music at wineries and many other locations around the country.
The USPS bill is being introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), with immediate support from his colleague Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), representing two of the major wine states. Fortunately, in the current Senate, the wine community is well represented, with leadership including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY), Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (OR), Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (WA), and Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Since this is an election year when virtually nothing gets done other than “must” legislation like budgets, it’s unlikely that either will go anywhere in 2024, but just their introduction is a positive sign for 2025.
