Take Action to Assert Your Rights New Jersey Wine Citizens

BREAKING NEWS!

 

U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE HAYDEN ISSUES STAY TO RETAIL WINE OUTLET CASE

 

NJ LEGISLATURE NOW HAS UNTIL MARCH 31, 2012 TO PASS LEGISLATION

 

UNCORKNJ URGES SWIFT ENACTMENT OF SENATE PRESIDENT STEVE SWEENEY'S LEGISLATION TO RESTORE RETAIL WINE OUTLETS AND PROVIDE FOR DIRECT SHIPPING

 

Earlier this month, NJ Attorney General Paula Dow sent a letter, signed by all parties to the "Freeman v. Fischer" case, to U.S. District Court Judge Hayden requesting a stay to the case to March 31, 2012.  Attorney General Dow's letter asked for the stay based on the belief by parties to the case, "that the matter is best resolved through a legislative solution that addresses the constitutional infirmities found by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals." UnCorkNJ, who is not a party to the case, agrees with Attorney General Dow and the parties to the case, and hails Judge Hayden's decision to allow the stay as clear recognition of the Legislature's role in successfully resolving this matter.

 

It's time for the NJ Legislature to act when it reconvenes and pass Senate President Steve Sweeney's bill, S-2782, to restore retail wine outlets and provide for limited direct shipping. The Sweeney bill is the only comprehensive solution, which properly addresses the issues raised by the Third Circuit Court in its decision last December. Other legislation introduced by Assemblyman Cryan does not fully restore the state's wine industry to status quo prior to the Third Circuit Court's decision, and does not guarantee future growth for the wine industry. As several NJ newspapers editorials have pointed out this summer, the Cryan bill is a product of the state's liquor lobby of wine wholesalers and retailers, zealots who are fiercely opposing any effort to change NJ's law to allow for direct shipping from wineries to your homes. 38 states presently allow for direct shipping of wine from wineries to residents of their states. Arguments against direct shipping were made by the liquor lobby to legislators in those 38 states and were rejected, and subsequently proven to be completely false.

 

UnCorkNJ is again calling on its thousands of supporters to take action now , and urge the NJ Legislature to support Senate President Sweeney's bill to save the NJ wine industry and provide for limited direct shipping. Please take a moment to share this email with your friends, family members, colleagues, and your local wine retailers and ask them to join you in contacting their elected legislators to support the Sweeney bill. Legislators are listening to the public, your voices are being heard, let's keep up the effort to defeat the liquor lobby zealots and bring direct shipping to NJ residents.