Legislative Mission
Family Winemakers of California monitors and lobbies a variety of public policy issues on behalf of its members. Legislation ranging from changes to the tied-house laws (the state’s alcohol laws) to environmental issues that affect winery and vineyard operations must be identified, their impact gauged and action taken.

The scope of the effort is significant. Each year the California Legislature introduces over 2,000 bills. And state agencies, such as the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control or departments within the California Environmental Protection Agency that regulate business activities, formulate new regulations based on recent laws or update old regulations. In addition, Family Winemakers monitors regional regulatory agency activity and federal actions by the Tax and Trade Bureau.

The 2011-12 legislative session started on December 6, 2010.

Family Winemakers identified 50 priority bills for this session.  The top priorities are organized below by the position of the association.

Support

AB 623 (Williams).  Sponsored by FWC, this bill would create a new off-sale retail wine license to allow exclusive direct shipping to consumers.  It was signed into law by Governor Brown on September 21.

Oppose

SB 104 (Steinberg).  This bill would allow unions to organized farmworkers through majority sign up cards.  Secret ballot elections would be superceded by this approach.  This bill was vetoed by Governor Brown.  A modified version was subsequently passed by the Legislature -- SB 126 -- and awaits the Governor's action.

SB 653 (Steinberg).  This bill grants local governments and school boards the authority to ask voters to approve a wide variety of local taxes, including excise taxes.  This bill is still awaiting passage in the Legislature; it could be taken up in January 2012.