The State Assembly passed a bill Wednesday to revamp Wisconsin’s multibillion-dollar liquor industry for the first time in nearly 100 years.
It affects everything from licensing, producing, selling, and distribution of beer, wine, and liquor.
The plan has received support from the powerful Tavern League, major brewing companies, and even Kwik Trip, but people who run wedding barns and private event venues tell TMJ4 news the bill could put many operators out of business.
Right now, many private event venues, like wedding barns, aren’t required to have a liquor license because licensed caterers provide alcohol. However, this new plan would change those rules - something wedding barn owners Mariam Mackar spoke to say could ultimately shut the barn doors for good.
The bill would make wedding barns need a liquor license to continue operating in the same capacity. Without one, they would need to register for a new “no sale event venue permit,” which would allow those renting the barn to bring in their own alcohol. However, that permit would limit venue owners to rent the property for no more than six days per year and one day per month.
Jean Bahn is a farmer in Berlin, Wisconsin who turned the family barn into a family business.
“My daughter was the first one to get married here,” said Bahn. “It’s been over eight years that we've worked so hard as a family to get this.”
She now says these new rules might bring the business to an end.
“I've invested a lot in my business. I pay sales tax, I pay income tax — I don't handle alcohol and because of that I'm being restricted in how much I can have business.”
Ben Ament owns Bridlewood Barn in Hilbert, Wisconsin. He believes the new restrictions don't make sense for his space.
“To me, the only thing that would change is that [clients] would be purchasing the alcohol from us instead of a licensed retailer, so I just don't see how it would become more regulated in that sense,” said Ament. “Just like we do not wish to sell or prepare the food people cater, we do not need to obtain a license to do that either.”
Meanwhile, on the Assembly floor representative Michael Schraa (R) Oshkosh, said wedding barns have been without regulations for too long.
“They want the benefits of being a small business owner but they want free reign as to how they operate their business,” Schaa said.
Ament says with the bill moving to the Senate floor there's still a chance for revisions.
“We were not brought to the table at all. We're hoping we still have the opportunity to maybe get this area of the bill amended.”
But if the bill passes as is and is signed into law, Bahn says that might be it for her business.
“My payback on my investments? I would not live long enough to get that on this kind of number of events. I’m pretty confident that I don’t care to become a retailer of alcohol. That just ties my hands and ties the hands of my children who were hoping to take this over.”
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