In an effort to give ABC customers relief, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill that will allow direct shipping of spirits to casinos, restaurants, and liquor stores. A meltdown at the ABC warehouse pushed shipping times to nearly a month, wrecking havoc across the hospitality industry.
ABC warehouse manager Ruan Transport shut down for a week in early January to take inventory. While the warehouse was closed, Ruan replaced the software system and conveyor belt systems. The software was not tested and did not communicate with ABC's MARS software. Ruan replaced the conveyor system with a pick a pallet system. The result was a total meltdown as shipping times skyrocketed from 48 hours to nearly a month as Ruan shipped less than 50% of cases ordered for a month, crippling casinos, restaurants, and package store owners alike. *
The Senate passed SB# 2838 in February and transmitted it to the House of Representatives which in turn dutifully referred the bill to the State Affairs Committee. Committee Chairman Hank Zuber amended the bill to include relief for restaurant owners, casinos, and package stores across Mississippi.
Some highlights of the amendment are:
SECTION 2. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Emergency Alcohol Distribution Act"....3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law:(a) A legally authorized purchaser may purchase alcoholic beverages from a legally authorized seller, and the legally authorized seller may sell and ship alcoholic beverages directly to a legally authorized purchaser. A legally authorized seller may use any method to ship, transport and deliver the alcoholic beverages to the legally authorized purchaser. (b) A legally authorized purchaser purchasing alcoholic beverages from a legally authorized seller under this section may possess and sell the alcoholic beverages in the manner authorized by the purchaser's permit....(5) (a) There is levied and assessed upon the legally authorized seller a tax in the amount of fifteen and one-half percent (15.5%) of the sales price of each sale and/or shipment of alcoholic beverages made to a legally authorized purchaser. The legally authorized seller shall file a monthly report with the department along with a copy of the invoice for each sale and/or shipment of alcoholic beverages and remit any taxes due; however, no report shall be required for months in which no sales or shipments were made into this state....
The House passed the bill yesterday afternoon by a vote of 112 to 2. The bill will be sent to the Senate for concurrence. History and text of bill.
* How bad did it get? Twice ABC only shipped a third of what was ordered:
6 comments:
This should be (emphasis on the word should) the beginning of the end of the ABC. It’s really too far gone at this point. The tax revenue lost up to now cannot be recovered and it would be prohibitively expensive to get it up to date and running as it should. I’m sure the Baptist politicians will preach the usual fire and brimstone about how the state should still control the liquor vice business because the general populace cannot be trusted on their own. It’ll take some heavy palm grease to get it done. It’s like the Jackson Zoo. It’s broken, horribly run and maintained, and beyond repair. “It’s a piece of crap. Yep, but it’s our piece of crap.” That’s the way all the hick hayseed politicians think.
This is just common sense, which means it'll just die once it reaches the liberal Lt. Governor's Senate.
Stupid to keep the warehouse, but then again, who said the legislature is proactive and smart.
Oh my, there now will be less "shrinkage" at the gubment warehouse. (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge).
@4:40
Two warehouses. My driveby estimate of the size of the new one is 10 acres.
Follow the money. Won't happen.
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