California craft liquor delivery is about go away thanks to big money lobbying

California craft distillers are losing a key right. Per CalMatters, the ability to ship spirits directly to customers expires December thirty-first, and a bid to make it permanent fell short. Opposition came from major alcohol distributors, the Teamsters union, and the wine industry—groups that spent more than one million dollars on lobbying this year, plus eleven million in campaign donations over recent years. By contrast, California's craft distillers managed just fifty-four thousand on lobbying. With less than a month before the Legislature wraps up, industry leaders say there's almost no chance of saving the shipment right.

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