News Briefs for June 2, 2014
June 2, 2014•Supporters of a bid to privatize spirits sales in Oregon are working on a second ballot initiative petition toward their goal, with hopes of removing the word “tax” from the initiative’s wording. Privatization supporters’ original petition, for which signatures are now being gathered, was approved by the state Supreme Court to read: “Allows qualified retail store to sell liquor; imposes wholesale tax to replace current state markup.” On the second petition, privatization backers are hoping to use language such as “revenue replacement fee” rather than “tax” to describe the levy on wholesale sales included in the proposal, fearing that consumers may incorrectly assume the tax is imposed at the consumer level. The second petition could be approved within a week or two, reports the Associated Press, but its language is still in doubt. To place it on the ballot, supporters would need to collect signatures from 87,213 registered voters by July 3.
•The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and Mexico’s Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) have announced a plan to cooperate globally to promote their respective spirits. The two industry bodies’ joint activities will include improving market access and fair competition as well as encouraging responsible consumption. Mexico has become a key market for Scotch whisky—ranked ninth globally—with the value of Scotch shipments to the country rising 20% to £110 million ($184m) last year.
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