SC makes alcohol permits illegal -- by accident

Seriously?

This goes pretty far beyond "whoops!" and likely is going to hurt a fair number of small businesses in the state of South Carolina.

Great.

Looks like it's letter-writing time, folks. Hit your South Carolina House rep and your Senator with some emails and phone calls before January, or...say goodbye to adult beverages at...weddings? Seriously?



Reposted from today's Free Times:

Issue #23.48 :: 11/30/2010 - 12/06/2010

S.C. Accidentally Bans Beer and Wine Permits “Somebody screwed up,” says Tom Sponseller

BY EVA MOORE

"Lawmakers are scrambling to figure out how a state law passed this year ended up barring businesses and individuals from serving beer and wine at special events. Because of that law, starting in January, the Department of Revenue will only grant special-event permits to serve beer and wine to nonprofit organizations and political parties. They will stop issuing permits to businesses and individuals — promoters, caterers and other event organizers, for example — who must obtain licenses every time they want to serve beer and wine in a location without a permanent beer and wine license. “Somebody screwed up,” says Tom Sponseller, head of..." (read the rest of Eva Moore's story at The Free Times website)  Thank you, Eva, for reporting on this! I'm glad that my nonprofit friends, clients and affiliates will be able to apply for alcohol permits more easily, but I get a sick feeling thinking about what this does to business for my friends in the catering industry, not to mention The Whig and The White Mule, two of the best low-budget bartender-for-hire services in town. Here's a listing of members of the SC House of Representatives, so you can grab your legislators' email addresses and phone numbers... ...and here's a directory for the South Carolina State Senate. Don't mess with my food & beverage industry people, y'all. They work hard as h-e-double-hockey-sticks to bring levity to this cruel world. Let's support them!