Wisconsin budget changes rules for wine sales, breweries
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Some small breweries would be able to expand but Wisconsin wineries might lose business under new alcohol regulations added to the state budget.
The wine rules bring Wisconsin into compliance with a 2005 U.,”STATE
Wisconsin budget changes rules for wine sales, breweries
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Some small breweries would be able to expand but Wisconsin wineries might lose business under new alcohol regulations added to the state budget.
The wine rules bring Wisconsin into compliance with a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires states to treat wine shipments the same whether they are from in-state or out-of-state. Separate rules are designed to help small breweries such as the Great Dane Pub in Madison add more retail locations.
Both were included in the budget approved by the Legislature on Tuesday and are favored by politically connected beverage distributors. Gov. Jim Doyle is expected to sign the budget and issue vetoes within days; his spokesman said he was still reviewing the alcohol rules.
The wine rules would give customers the option of ordering products from more wineries by phone or the Internet but potentially make it harder to find Wisconsin-made wines at the grocery store.
All U.S. wineries will be able to apply for a permit to ship to Wisconsin consumers, who could buy directly up to 108 liters, or about 144 bottles, per year. Previously, only wineries in California and Oregon were supposed to have that ability under agreements with Wisconsin, although the rules weren't always enforced.
The rules also require wineries to go through distributors when selling their products to retail stores. Representatives of Wisconsin's growing wine industry say the mandate backed by Democratic Sen. Russ Decker, D-Weston, will hurt their business because wholesalers won't pick up products from small wineries.
"The fight for shelf space in grocery and liquor stores is so fierce right now that a wholesaler isn't going to shove one of its bigger brands out of the way to make room for a small one," said Sarah Botham of Botham Vineyards and Winery in Barneveld.
Robson out, Decker in as new Senate Democratic leader
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The chief Democratic budget negotiator who helped cut a deal that didn't include some of the party's major priorities lost her leadership position Wednesday.
Sen. Judy Robson of Beloit, elected Senate Majority Leader earlier this year, was replaced by Sen. Russ Decker of Weston, the co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee.
Decker beat Robson during a closed-door meeting of the 18-member Democratic caucus. The vote was secret, but Robson spokesman Josh Wescott said Decker won by one vote.
"They decided to go with more muscle," Wescott said of Democrats' decision to replace Robson, a nurse, with Decker, a bricklayer.
"She's clearly disappointed," Wescott said. "This caught her off guard. She was surprised by it."
Decker, who will lead Senate Democrats into next year's election, said he was considering the move for weeks. No other leadership changes were made Wednesday.
"This was not personal," Decker said. "I don't think she did anything wrong. I think people decided that maybe we needed a different direction to go into. A stronger message."
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More than 500,000 flee, firefighters all but concede defeat to raging California wildfires
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Faced with unrelenting winds whipping wildfires into a frenzy across Southern California, firefighters conceded defeat on many fronts Tuesday to an unstoppable force that has chased more than 500,000 people away.
Unless the shrieking Santa Ana winds subside, and that's not expected for at least another day, fire crews say they can do little more than try to wait it out and react – tamping out spot fires and chasing ribbons of airborne embers to keep new fires from flaring.
"If it's this big and blowing with as much wind as it's got, it'll go all the way to the ocean before it stops," said San Diego Fire Capt. Kirk Humphries. "We can save some stuff but we can't stop it."
Tentacles of unpredictable, shifting flame have burned across nearly 640 square miles, killing one person, destroying more than 1,300 homes and prompting the biggest evacuation in California history, from north of Los Angeles, through San Diego to the Mexican border.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the flames were threatening 68,000 more homes.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls Iran a major obstacle to U.S. vision in the Mideast
WASHINGTON (AP) – Iran is a major obstacle to the U.S. vision of a Middle East in which nations will "trade more, invest more, talk more and work more constructively to solve problems," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says.
"The Iranian government is pursuing policies which are detrimental to the long-term interests of its neighbors, of the region, and of the Iranian people themselves. It need not be this way," Rice said in remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday to a House panel.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of her testimony.
Rice's testimony, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, comes amid increased frustration by Republicans and Democrats alike that the Bush administration is not doing enough to deter Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Last month, the House passed, by a 397-16 vote, legislation aimed at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative energy sector. The bill, sponsored by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., would specifically bar the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.
Discovery chasing international space station; astronauts to inspect wings and nose
HOUSTON (AP) – Shuttle Discovery chased the international space station in orbit Wednesday as its seven astronauts geared up for a laser inspection of their ship's wings.
It was the first full day of what NASA considers to be the most complicated space station construction mission yet. The shuttle was to reach the station Thursday.
NASA's space operations chief, Bill Gerstenmaier, said after Tuesday's liftoff that the astronauts face a tremendous series of challenges, but noted, "I can't think of a better start to this mission than what we got today." It was the third on-time shuttle launch in a row.
At least six pieces of foam insulation came off Discovery's fuel tank during liftoff, but because that occurred after the crucial first two minutes, the debris posed no risk to the shuttle, officials said.
"It's preliminary only, but it did look like a clean ascent," Mission Control informed Discovery's commander Pamela Melroy, only the second woman to lead a shuttle crew.
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