The Hill News

A legislative battle has been brewing in Congress since last April when 40 state attorneys general asked Congress to “strongly support legislation that will bring to a stop the erosion of state alcohol laws by re-enforcing the states’ ability to regulate alcohol as it sees fit.” This year, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders are addressing “the growing threat facing our states from unprecedented legal challenges...” â€" highlighted by the attorneys general â€" by introducing H.R. 1161, the Community Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness (CARE) Act.

The CARE Act reaffirms each state’s 21st Amendment right to regulate alcohol. But a syndicate of foreign-owned distillers and brewers, wine conglomerates, and unaccountable online alcohol sellers don’t want to play by the rules.

These special interests have filed more than 27 lawsuits in over half the states. This frivolous litigation is undermining states’ ability to safeguard their ci! tizens by dismantling alcohol regulation that balances the needs of local communities with unrestrained commerce. Federal courts are being hijacked by these special interests in order to line their pockets by gutting commonsense state-based regulation of alcohol. 

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