Tavern League Loses, Legislator Makes No Sense

The Republican version of the State budget contains a provision which indicates that the Tavern League's death-grip on Wisconsin may be broken.

The wording, inserted into the budget bill at the urging of Rep. Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington), would provide an exemption from every community's liquor license quota for new full-service restaurants.

..."Communities around the state are finding that this anachronistic quota system that goes back to the 1930s is really cutting into economic development opportunities."

Got that? The current system is 'anachronistic' and cuts into 'economic development.'

The following which explains the law:

State law regulates the number of Class B combination liquor licenses a community can issue. With some exceptions, the liquor license quota law restricts the number of such licenses to one per every 500 residents. Class B combination licenses allow establishments to serve liquor, beer and wine and commonly are granted to full-service restaurants.

Of course, we can't have TOO much of that 'economic development' because we really DO like 'anachronistic' laws--or more important, State control of everything:

In addition, holders of existing Class B licenses would be prohibited from giving up those licenses and applying for new licenses under the full-service restaurant exemption. This is designed to prevent an existing license from being converted to a new full-service restaurant license, thus freeing up the former license to be granted to a business that is not a full-service restaurant, such as a tavern.

Seems to me that a municipality, village, or township is perfectly capable of determining how many restaurants and/or taverns they want.

What's the matter with THAT concept?

Hint: use the word 'power' in any sentence you like.