Wisconsin’s wedding barns face new regulations under a liquor law overhaul bill they fought to kill but that Gov. Tony Evers signed into law over their objections on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.
Wisconsin’s craft brewers, large retailers like the Kwik Trip convenience store franchise, and other producers, wholesalers, and retailers all got behind the proposal that was hammered out in secret the past five years largely between Republican lawmakers and the multibillion-dollar alcohol industry.
The new law affects every level of the state’s alcohol industry governing the licensing, producing, selling, and distribution of beer, wine, and liquor. The so-called three-tiered system was designed to prevent monopolies so the same entity could not produce and sell alcohol at the wholesale and retail levels. The system has been criticized for years, however, for not keeping up with changes in the industry, including the explosion of smaller craft breweries, the popularity of wedding barns, and other innovations.
The new law requires venues that sell or allow alcohol at special events, known generally as wedding barns, to either get a permit or alcohol license to operate legally. Currently, wedding barns and other private event venues don’t need a liquor license to operate, and many contract with licensed vendors to provide alcohol at the events they host.
