After years of gaining support in Maryland’s General Assembly, we are closer than ever to passing a law to allow Maryland citizens to receive wine by mail from wineries and wine-of-the-month clubs.

We are asking you to call or email your legislator before Friday, March 4 (the day both bills will be heard by the respective legislative committees in Annapolis) to show your support for direct-to-consumer shipment of wine.

Even with the overwhelming support—a majority of the legislature—there are interest groups hard at work to cripple the bills, trying to limit WHICH wines can be shipped, and from WHICH sources (wineries OR retailers/wine-of-the-month clubs, etc.).

Please let your legislators know that you want:
     – a law based on national standards and the Comptroller’s Study on Direct Shipping;
     – a law that allows you to receive wine from wineries and retailers;
     – a law that lets Maryland wineries ship to other states (like NY, which will only let MD wineries ship in if MD’s law is based on national standards).

Read much more about the topic, the history of direct-to-consumer shipping by clicking here.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR. If you want to be able to receive wine by mail from wineries and from wine of the month clubs, please CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR now using this form from Free the Grapes. Or call your legislator directly—they need to hear from constituents in support of HB234 and SB248.
FIND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
Visit the Maryland State Board of Elections page to obtain names and contact information for your elected officials: Maryland State Board of Elections Lookup Page.

THANK YOU!

Tastefully yours,

John Hesse
Executive Director
Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws
4315 Underwood Road
Baltimore, MD 21218
Tel: (202) 904-4297
http://www.mbbwl.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MBBWL
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mbbwl
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