Michigan Votes Forum

 Nice idea, but why only Spartan Stores? Again why are we trying to cherry pick the winners/losers etc.

What kind of idiot would introduce a bill like this? Does he actually think it would pass, being blatant discrimination against other stores? This is the kind of state legislature we should all be proud of!

You people really arent fit to legislate! Stop discriminating against some businesses in favor of others! All-or none!

Obviously, Spartan Stores made the largest contribution to Sen. Mark Jansen's (R) war chest.  C'mon, Meijer and Kroger, ante up!!

Not that I don't believe the interpretation, but please explain to me where in the bill it discriminates against Meijer, etc and not Spartan?

The very specific, detailed description of what chain store(s) would be eligible to sponsor in-store wine tastings is a dead giveaway that this proposed legislation is intended to favor some particular company over all others.  That is patently corrupt.

I feel the real issue here is why we are allowing any grocery store to hold wine tasting events.  Our children are already bombarded enough by alcohol advertisements and displays.  The Center on Alcohol Marking & Youth reports “The average age at which young people, ages 12 to 17, begin to drink is 13 years old.”  Another study reported by the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention states:“Studies on the effects of advertising on adults do not show a strong connection between exposure to advertising and overall consumption. However, survey studies on alcohol advertising and young people consistently indicate that children and adolescents, who are exposed to alcohol advertisements have more favorable attitudes toward drinking, are more likely to be underage drinkers, and intend to drink more when they are adults.”  The number one killer of today’s adolescents is alcohol and alcohol related accidents.  Allowing grocery stores whose most frequent patrons are parents with young children, to do wine tasting events only adds yet another dimension to the systematic entrapment of young children.

This is one of the most ridiculous bills to ever come forward. We have more pressing issues to worry about other than whether Spartan Stores but not Meijer's can have wine tastings. This is a direct carve out that benefits ONE grocery business. What makes Spartan Stores better than Meijer's. Why can't the competitor have wine tastings? What is good for one should be good for all.

Why don't we worry about funding education? Worry about balancing the state budget. Truly balance it but not on the backs of the taxpayers or the children in our public schools, but by cutting taxes.

This is another bad idea in a long string of bad ideas that comes out of Lansing and a pertinent point as to why we need a part-time legislature with part-time benefits.

@bill1978:

Here is the wording, the first line of the bill. Notice the words in parentheses. (Bolding is mine).

 Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R) on July 28, 2010, to allow the Spartan Stores grocery chain (but not other grocery chains like Meijer, Kroger, etc.) to hold wine tastings in its stores.