Stores would have been able to serve up to three half-ounce samples of whiskey, gin and other hard liquors between 11 a.,”When Gov. Jim Doyle signed the state budget last Friday, he vetoed a controversial section that would have allowed grocers and liquor stores to serve customers samples of hard liquor.

Stores would have been able to serve up to three half-ounce samples of whiskey, gin and other hard liquors between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Although wine and beer are already available at Wisconsin establishments in sample form, the governor vetoed the idea because offering samples in highly public places did not seem like good public policy, said Carla Vigue, spokeswoman for the governor's office.

"The main reason the governor mentioned it is that it's not good public policy to have people driving to stores, having samples and then getting in their cars," she said. "He also felt strongly about not having moms shopping and pushing their kids in carts while taking shots of booze."

Kari Kinnard, executive director of Mother's Against Drunk Driving in Wisconsin, agrees that public places are not the appropriate environment for sampling liquor.

"The governor made the right move," she said. "There are other ways people can sell their alcohol. It doesn't need to be in grocery stores where we have families shopping."

Vivian King, a spokeswoman for Roundy's Supermarkets Inc., which owns Pick 'n Save grocery stores, said if the measure had passed, Roundy's would have considered offering alcohol sampling.

"Our company operates within whatever the law is," she said. "This measure is not essential for our business to operate and thrive, but we use all the tools at our disposal."

Since sampling any type of alcohol creates a sensitive issue, Roundy's would have looked at possible measures to decide if implementing the sampling was feasible, King said.

In response to the governor's decision, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits, issued a statement expressing disappointment.

According to a press release from DISCUS, the veto "was unfortunate for Wisconsin consumers and a blow to equal treatment in the marketplace. Beer and wine tastings are already permitted in the state and there is no reason to treat spirits products any differently."

The release also said adult consumers should have the opportunity to responsibly sample the growing number of premium distilled spirits products.

However, Kinnard said responsibility would have been an issue.

"It sends the message that you can consume alcohol and then get behind the wheel," she said. "This never should have been in the budget in the first place."

Through the media and grassroots volunteers and citizens, MADD was adamant in raising concerns about how the plan would be implemented and how it would affect the state. Kinnard questioned how servers would be taught guidelines for ensuring customers were 21 years old, for preventing over-serving and for keeping people from going from place to place to get additional samples.

Kinnard also expressed concern about how sampling would have affected the state's already high rate of binge drinking among adults and underaged drinkers.

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