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Web posted Saturday,
October 30, 2004
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Minibottles will taste test at polls
Proposed amendment to state's constitution
would allow lawmakers to put bigger bottles on the
menu.
By Stephanie Ingersoll
Carolina Morning News
Voters
will have a chance Tuesday to shatter the
minibottles' hold on restaurants and bars in South
Carolina.
A proposed amendment to the state
Constitution would allow lawmakers to set
standards for the bottle sizes bartenders could
use. The Constitution now mandates that liquor be
served from minibottles holding only 2 ounces or
less.
Will voters swallow the amendment or
spit it out?
Supporters and opponents are
serving up differing viewpoints this week with a
mixer of legal controversy.
The Hilton Head
Area Hospitality Association poured its support
into a "yes" vote, which would repeal the existing
minibottle requirement.
That doesn't mean
the minibottle would be doomed - lawmakers have
indicated they would allow businesses to choose
the little liquor containers or larger liter-size
bottles.
"It's about choice," said
association Executive Director Jill Golden. "It
would be nice to have that choice. It's a choice
our members do not currently have. We don't
support minibottles going away, we do support
choice and that's what the Legislature would
do."
Others have been critical of an
amendment, saying the General Assembly does not
have a plan in place to change the liquor law if
the minibottle requirement is
repealed.
Blurring the issue even more,
opponents have labeled themselves the Palmetto
Hospitality Association and aired commercials
critical of the amendment but vague enough to
avoid being called a "campaign" ad.
Drink,
anyone?
The Hospitality Association of
South Carolina has long supported an amendment and
filed a lawsuit against the Palmetto Hospitality
Association this week, claiming the new group is
calling itself a hospitality association to
mislead voters.
The suit asked for an
immediate injunction to keep the Palmetto
Hospitality Association from using that name in
their ads.
The Palmetto Hospitality
Association is made up of liquor distributors,
liquor sales and wholesaler groups, "businesses
and organizations not normally recognized as the
mainstream hospitality industry," the suit claims.
Their ad slogan is "No plan, no way."
The
Hospitality Association of South Carolina
represents restaurants, hotels and tourism
interests and supports a minibottle
repeal.
"Our board of directors and its
members are extremely upset that this organization
is purposefully playing on its good name and
goodwill that the Hospitality Association of South
Carolina has created over the years," said
President Tom Sponseller.
"Our members have
invested heavily to develop the brand 'hospitality
association' and in just three weeks, this group
has purposefully confused the public, the media
and members of the General Assembly in their
opposition to our association's support of a 'yes'
vote."
Supporters of the change say a "free
pour" option from bigger bottles would allow
businesses to provide better-tasting, less-potent
drinks at a better price. Customers could also
order drinks with multiple liquors without paying
for each minibottle.
Most minibottles have
about 1.75 ounces of liquor. Free pour shots are
usually 1 to 1.25 ounces.
Opponents say the
state could lose money if businesses do not
accurately report sales. The state now taxes each
minibottle individually. They also argue "free
pour" would make it easier for bartenders to skimp
on liquor.
Constitutional Amendment No.
1:
Must Section 1, Article VIII-A of
the Constitution of this State, relating to the
powers of the General Assembly pertaining to
alcoholic liquors and beverages, be amended so as
to authorize the General Assembly to determine the
size of containers in which alcoholic liquors or
beverages are sold and to delete the provision
requiring the sale of alcoholic liquors for
consumption on the premises only in sealed
containers of two ounces or
less?
Explanation of
above:
This proposed amendment
authorizes the General Assembly to establish the
size of containers in which alcoholic liquors and
beverages may be sold in this State and deletes
the requirement that alcoholic liquors and
beverages sold by licensed establishments for on
premises consumption must be in sealed containers
of two ounces or less (minibottles). Under this
proposal the General Assembly may provide by law
for size of containers from which restaurants and
other licensed establishments may sell alcoholic
liquors and beverages for on premises
consumption.
Constitutional Amendment
No. 2:
Must Section 1, Article X of the
Constitution of this State relating to the
classification of property and applicable
assessment ratios for purposes of property tax be
amended so as to delete the specific limit of ten
shareholders as the most shareholders a
corporation may have for it to be eligible for a
four percent assessment ratio on its agricultural
real property and provide that the General
Assembly shall provide by law the maximum number
of shareholders a corporation may have to be
eligible for the four percent assessment
ratio?
Explanation of above: The state
constitution currently allows a 4 percent property
tax assessment ratio for agricultural land owned
by a corporation with ten or fewer shareholders. A
"yes" vote will allow the General Assembly to set
a shareholder limit by law. A "no" vote will keep
the current limit of ten or fewer
shareholders.
Reporter Stephanie Ingersoll
can be reached at 837-5255, ext. 110, or
Stephanie.ingersoll@lowcountrynow.com
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