Kansas revisits wine shipping laws
January 25th, 2006
By Jeff Carroll - VP of Compliance, ShipCompliant
A pending bill in the Kansas Legislature would prohibit the direct shipment of wine to consumers altogether. Currently, Kansas in-state wineries can sell directly to consumers, but out-of-state wineries are required to use the three-tier system. This uneven treatment was deemed unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in May 2005. As a result of the ruling, states can essentially either allow direct shipments from all US wineries or prohibit all direct shipments. So far, Kansas seems to be leaning towards prohibition.
[...] We noted earlier that Kansas was revisiting their laws and leaning towards prohibition. However, a new bill sent to the Senate would open up direct shipments to retailers and consumers, as long as the consumers pick up the wine at a licensed liquor store. Lawmakers in Kansas are keeping a close eye on the Costco case in Washington. [...]