AB 1322 Thank You!

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Created: Friday, July 17 2015 12:01

 
THANK YOU!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Due in no small measure to the 1,000+ messages sent by all of you through our AB 1322 Action Alerts, the key vote on the bill never happened, which means it is dead for the rest of this year.

AB 1322, supported by Drybar Company, tried to bully state legislators into relaxing the protections of existing law to allow salons and shops to become bars without a license, without regulation, without ABC oversight. Your messages convinced a few legislators that the proposed bill left too many questions about public health and safety unanswered.

More than 1,000 times the message was received in Sacramento that California does not need 45,000+ unlicensed, unregulated barber and salon businesses serving alcohol. That will not happen this year. But the bill could easily be resurrected in January of 2016.

Thanks again for helping us put the brakes on it this year and if you can, please become a donor. We need your support to remain vigilant and continue building our mutual constituency of concern that will stop this bill again next year if it returns. We also need your help to fight any other bills the industry pushes to deregulate at the expense of public health and safety. Please make a gift today.

Sincerely,
Bruce Lee Livingston
Executive Director / CEO

PA Gov. Tom Wolf Vetoes Privatization Bill

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Created: Thursday, July 09 2015 11:25

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf vetoed legislation last week that would have privatized alcohol sales in the state of Pennsylvania. Wolf's decision to veto this bill was reasonable and well-informed, and benefits both the economy of Pennsylvania and the health and safety of its residents.

Privatization of alcohol sales would prove to be a financially detrimental decision for the state of Pennsylvania. States with government control of alcohol sales, such as Pennsylvania, generate over $10 more per gallon of alcohol sold than states with privatized alcohol sales. Wolf described the privatization bill as one that falls short of a responsible means to maximize revenues to benefit the citizens of Pennsylvania.

As Alcohol Justice fact sheets and reports have reiterated, privatization of alcohol sales is associated with increased alcohol sales and consumption as well as alcohol-related harm, including traffic injuries and fatalities, crime, domestic violence, and child abuse. The U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force has conducted extensive reviews and recommended against privatization.

Governor Wolf's alcohol privatization veto is encouraging. We urge state and federal policymakers to keep the most effective ways to curb alcohol-related harm at the forefront of their minds when making important legislative decisions. These key approaches to mitigating harm include state control of alcohol sales, limiting alcohol availability, and increasing alcohol taxes.