As John Trump wrote in his Daily Journal article earlier this year, for North Carolina distillers, brewers, and winemakers, the push for looser regulations and rules isn’t about the alcohol. After all, many of these businesses, small and large, play a role in their respective communities. Similarly, most proponents pushing privatization, or at least modernization, of North Carolina’s ABC system aren’t motivated by the prospect of increasing alcohol consumption. From a free-market, limited government perspective, the reason in its simplest form is that our state government has no business being in the liquor business. Let’s look at some other reasons…
Capital at Play’s Annual Alcohol Edition includes an article, ‘The ABCs of Alcohol Rules and Regulations,’ which offers opinions from many stakeholders involved in legislation transforming the alcohol industry. At first thought, the most effected stakeholders are those producing the actual alcohol. But, if you consider other industries involved in these changes, we start to see a pattern: Businesses want to give their customers options, and, ultimately, provide them with services and products they want. And, why wouldn’t they seek the most efficient way to do this?
It’s no secret that ABC reforms are long overdue. I expect to see more reforms in the 2019 Long Session, further allowing market demand to prevail.
Let’s continue to provide businesses opportunities to thrive. After all, it’s not like we’re asking for weed-infused beer.
Yet.
