Wisconsin lawmakers set to approve overhaul of liquor law

The state Assembly is scheduled to pass it on Wednesday, which would then send it to the Senate for final approval. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who was involved with discussions of the measure, is expected to sign it into law.The bill would create a new division within the state Department of Revenue, which would be in charge of overseeing and enforcing the state’s alcohol laws.

The three-tiered system was designed to prevent monopolies, so the same company could not produce and sell alcohol at the wholesale and retail levels. But for years the system has been criticized for not keeping up with changes in the industry, including the explosion of small craft breweries and the rising popularity ofThe bill would require venues that provide alcohol at special events, known generally as wedding barns, to be regulated in a new way.

Last week, lawmakers on the Assembly’s state affairs committee dismissed concerns brought by some wedding barn owners that the requirements were too burdensome, saying they will simply have to adjust their business practices. Supporters of the changes say they level the playing field between wedding barns, which don’t need a license, and banquet halls, taverns and others who must get liquor licenses to operate.

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