ABL DISPATCH — THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

BY JOHN BODNOVICH, ABL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Save the Date

The 2023 American Beverage Licensees (ABL) Annual Meeting will be held June 10-11, 2023, in St. Louis, Missouri. More information about the conference, including hotel and registration information, speakers and hospitality events, will be available soon. We hope you can join us in “the Lou” to celebrate ABL’s 21st birthday!

From the Capitol

We are now a couple of months into the 118th Congress, and it’s already been a bumpy ride thanks to narrow majorities and divided government for the first time in two years. Democrats hold control of the Senate with a narrow 51-49 majority, while Republicans hold a slim 222-213 majority in the House. As the process to elect the speaker of the house foreshadowed, most any meaningful legislative victories will be hard fought for the next two years. In the meantime, the parties have spent the bulk of January and February organizing committees, and doing administrative work within their offices and caucuses.

While many bills will be introduced in the coming months, there are two must-pass bills this year: legislation to raise the debt ceiling and legislation to fund the federal government through the appropriations process. Both issues — which may not come to a head until summer or when the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2023 — are contentious, to say the least. It remains to be seen what other major legislation will take shape with a chance to pass both the House and Senate (and be signed by President Biden).

Unforeseen events can also drive policy (hello, COVID-19!), so it is always good to be prepared with a sensible policy agenda and relationships with congressional offices. A year ago, COVID-19 relief measures (Restaurant Revitalization Fund replenishment, and the perishable food and beverage tax credit, among others) had been priorities for ABL, whereas, this year, we will focus more on the economy, the workforce and industry competition, as well as the traditional alcohol issues that ABL covers.

What Does This Mean for ABL, its Members and the Issues We Care About?

With the start of a new Congress, ABL has the responsibility to educate new members about ABL, our members, our industry and our issues. ABL staff is doing just that right now and will continue that effort in the coming months.

With investigations and other politically oriented legislation on the House agenda for at least the first two quarters of

A New ABL Member

In February, ABL announced that Provi, the largest e-commerce marketplace for the beverage alcohol industry, has joined as an associate member. ABL will be working with Provi to provide education and perspective around the emergence of its technology, and its ability to streamline efficiencies for onand off-premise retailers. Digital solutions, like Provi, are being widely adopted throughout the industry to optimize revenue, strengthen connections and generate growth for the overall beverage alcohol sector. More and more, beverage licensees are leaning on digital tools to lessen burdens stemming from macroeconomic challenges, such as labor shortages and inflation.

Founded in 2016, Provi’s mission is to bring greater efficiency to the beverage alcohol industry and the existing three-tier system. Alongside its digital solutions, the company also generates content-driven resources for retailers. Through its Associate Membership Program, ABL will provide Provi with opportunities to connect with beverage retailers to exchange perspectives, resources and expertise, and provide support on emerging issues.

2023, there is an opportunity to promote ABL issues and legislation that are bipartisan. Breaking through the noise with Main Street issues will be challenging, but also potentially appealing to legislators and staff focused on governing.

Meanwhile, there is plenty that will be going on with the administration and various agencies that touch alcohol, small businesses and the regulation of both. ABL has engaged those agencies and will continue to do so as the issues that matter to beverage alcohol retailers evolve.

ABL relies on its members for grassroots advocacy and wants to thank those TLW members who participated in grassroots “citizen lobbyist” work during the 117th Congress in 20212022. ABL members should be proud of the work they did, the meetings with legislators and staff they took, the letters and emails they wrote, the phone calls they placed and the difference they made. Thank you!

Legislative Initiatives

It’s still somewhat early in the new Congress, and a lot of legislation is still being drafted and developed. But here are some carryover issues and anticipated bills that ABL is tracking.

The Credit Card Competition Act

ABL lobbied Congressional offices in 2022 to support and pass the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act of 2022. The legislation “would direct the Federal Reserve to ensure that giant credit card-issuing banks offer a choice of at least two networks over which an electronic credit transaction may be processed, with certain exceptions.” While it did not pass in 2022, ABL supports its reintroduction in the 118th Congress and encourages beverage licensees to reach out to their members of Congress to ask them to support the legislation. ABL is an active member of the Merchants Payments Coalition, which advocates for the bill.

Impaired Driving Technology

ABL staff is monitoring developments at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and keeping in contact with industry partners who share concern about the implementation of the impaired driving detection technology

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