If you've ever lived in or spent much time in a state that permits wine to be sold in grocery stores, you know that Tennessee's prohibition on same is just a relic of America's pitiful Prohibition madness. In my opinion, the Against lists below are where you'll find your Nanny Staters, false and fascist religionists (hey, Jesus drank wine), and those in the pocket of Tennessee's liquor lobby. Again in my opinion, the Undecided lists below are where you'll find the typical cowards we let stay in office in this State.
This list via the lobbying group Red White and Food. Email your legislator through http://www.capitol.tn.gov/.
LEGISLATORS' POSITIONS ON WINE IN GROCERY STORES
REPUBLICANS SUPPORTIVE:
Rep. Joe Carr, Lascassas
Rep. Glen Casada, Franklin
Rep. Beth Halteman Harwell, Nashville
Rep. Curtis Johnson, Clarksville
Rep. Phillip Johnson, Pegram
Sen. Bill Ketron, Murfreesboro
Rep. Jon Lundberg, Bristol
Rep. Susan Lynn, Mt. Juliet
Rep. Frank Niceley, Strawberry Plains
Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, Blountville
Rep. Tony Shipley, Kingsport
Sen. Paul Stanley, Memphis
REPUBLICANS AGAINST:
Rep. Mike Bell, Riceville
Rep. Kevin Brooks, Cleveland
Sen. Tim Burchett, Knoxville
Rep. Jim Cobb, Spring City
Rep. Jim Coley, Bartlett
Rep. Jimmy Eldridge, Jackson
Sen. Mike Faulk, Kingsport
Rep. Chad Faulkner, Luttrell
Rep. Richard Floyd, Chattanooga
Rep. Michael Harrison, Sneedville
Rep. Ron Lollar, Bartlett
Rep. Jimmy Matlock, Lenoir City
Sen. Doug Overbey, Maryville
Rep. Dennis Roach, Rutledge
Sen. Steve Southerland, Morristown
Sen. Bo Watson, Hixson
REPUBLICANS UNDECIDED:
Sen. Mae Beavers, Mt. Juliet
Sen. Diane Black, Gallatin
Rep. Harry Brooks, Knoxville
Sen. Dewayne Bunch, Cleveland
Rep. Stacey Campfield, Knoxville
Sen. Rusty Crowe, Johnson City
Rep. Vince Dean, East Ridge
Rep. Vance Dennis, Savannah
Rep. Bill Dunn, Knoxville
Rep. Joshua Evans, Greenbrier
Rep. Dale Ford, Jonesborough
Sen. Dolores Gresham, Somerville
Rep. Curtis Halford, Dyer
Rep. David Hawk, Greeneville
Rep. Ryan Haynes, Knoxville
Rep. Joey Hensley, Hohenwald
Rep. Matthew Hill, Jonesborough
Sen. Jack Johnson, Brentwood
Rep. Brian Kelsey, Germantown
Rep. Debra Young Maggart, Hendersonville
Rep. Joe McCord, Maryville
Rep. Gerald McCormick, Chattanooga
Rep. Rep. Steve McDaniel, Parkers Crossroads
Rep. Steve McManus, Cordova
Sen. Randy McNally, Oak Ridge
Rep. Richard Montgomery, Sevierville
Rep. Jason Mumpower, Bristol
Sen. Mark Norris, Collierville
Rep. Bob Ramsey, Maryville
Rep. Barrett Rich, Somerville
Rep. Donna Rowland, Murfreesboro
Rep. Charles Sargent, Franklin
Rep. Eric Swafford, Pikeville
Rep. Curry Todd, Collierville
Sen. Jim Tracy, Shelbyville
Rep. Eric Watson, Cleveland
Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver, Lancaster
House Speaker Kent Williams, Elizabethton
Sen. Jamie Woodson, Knoxville
Sen. Ken Yager, Harriman
DEMOCRATS SUPPORTIVE:
Rep. Karen Camper, Memphis
Sen. Douglas Henry, Nashville
Sen. Doug Jackson, Dickson
Sen. Beverly Marrero, Memphis
Rep. Larry Miller, Memphis
Rep. Gary Odom, Nashville
Rep. Jeanne Richardson, Memphis
Rep. David Shepard, Dickson
Rep. Mike Stewart, Nashville
Rep. John Tidwell, New Johnsonville
Rep. Larry Turner, Memphis
DEMOCRATS AGAINST:
Rep. Joe Armstrong, Knoxville
Rep. Judy Barker, Union City
Rep. Willie Borchert, Camden
Sen. Charlotte Burks, Monterey
Rep. Ty Cobb, Columbia
Rep. Charles Curtiss, Sparta
Rep. John Deberry, Memphis
Sen. Lowe Finney, Jackson
Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, Ripley
Sen. Joe Haynes, Goodlettsville
Rep. Ulysses Jones Jr., Memphis
Rep. Mike Kernell, Memphis
Rep. Mark Maddox, Dresden
Sen. Reginald Tate, Memphis
Rep. Ben West, Hermitage
DEMOCRATS UNDECIDED:
Sen. Tim Barnes, Adams
Rep. Eddie Bass, Prospect
Sen. Andy Berke, Chattanooga
Rep. Stratton Bone, Lebanon
Rep. Tommie Brown, Chattanooga
Rep. Curt Cobb, Shelbyville
Rep. Kent Coleman, Murfreesboro
Rep. Barbara Cooper, Memphis
Rep. Lois DeBerry, Memphis
Rep. Joanne Favors, Chattanooga
Rep. Dennis Ferguson, Midtown
Rep. Henry Fincher, Cookeville
Sen. Ophelia Ford, Memphis
Rep. George Fraley, Winchester
Rep. Brenda Gilmore, Nashville
Rep. Jim Hackworth, Clinton
Rep. G. A. Hardaway, Memphis
Sen. Thelma Harper, Nashville
Rep. Bill Harmon, Dunlap
Sen. Roy Herron, Dresden
Rep. Sherry Jones, Nashville
Sen. Jim Kyle, Memphis
Rep. John Litz, Morristown
Rep. Michael Ray McDonald, Portland
Rep. Gary Moore, Joelton
Rep. Jimmy Naifeh, Covington
Rep. Joe Pitts, Clarksville
Rep. Mary Pruitt, Nashville
Rep. Johnny Shaw, Bolivar
Rep. Janis Sontany, Nashville
Sen. Eric Stewart, Belvidere
Rep. Harry Tindell, Knoxville
Rep. Joe Towns, Memphis
Rep. Mike Turner, Old Hickory
Rep. John Mark Windle, Livingston
Rep. Les Winningham, Huntsville
Rep. Eddie Yokley, Greeneville
Rep. Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma could not be contacted for his position on the proposal.
Have these bozo's never heard of having a glass of wine with diner? Before moving back to TN from IN, part of my grocery shopping was to pick up a bottle of table wine at the grocery. My doctor said a glass with my evening meal would be great for the heart.
ReplyDeleteSince moving back to TN, that stopped being a habit since it involves a stop by the local liquor store, usually surrounded by panhandlers wanting a buck to buy a bottle.
Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Thank you for this list. You are exactly right about these "undecided". There are a couple of names I am disappointed with on there. I'll be sending out a couple of emails in the morning letting them know.
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny to me is that you can buy beer at the grocery store...the main alcohol of choice for alcoholics. Yet because wine has a higher alcohol count you can't buy it in a grocery store? But feel free to buy all the beer you want that would go over the alcohol content of that glass of wine.
ReplyDeleteWhat the general public doesn't realize is that most liquor stores where you can purchase wine are located conveniently near grocery stores. The revenue that the grocery stores make on the sale of wine would be shipped to their corporate headquarters located outside the State of Tennessee. The loss of revenue for some of the smaller mom and pop liquor stores would also cause the closing of 50-60 stores resulting in the loss of 250-300 Tennessee jobs. Just some "food" for thought before you pull the trigger on what could be a devastating loss of TN revenue and jobs.
ReplyDeletehave you ever considered that alcohol is the main choice for alcoholics because it is the easiest available? And cheapest, and most aggressively marketed (especially to youth), its easy and safe to make at home, delicious and hoppy, etc.....
ReplyDeleteYou can tell by now that I am a drinker. But I am also a parent and I do not want my kid staring at alcohol images and marketing when I send him in for a gallon of milk. I want him to wait until he is older until he drinks. period. And I am willing to make the extra stop by the liquor store to pick up my vice in order to help prevent that. And the extra walk from the parking lot will only up my step count for the day, something that is also good for the heart:)
And if that also supports small, local business over big companies offering minimum wage jobs with no benefits, then I say HOORAY!
Like the country isn't awash with beer displays featuring NASCAR drivers endorsing swill beer in every convenience store.
ReplyDeleteWere you of legal age when you had your first drink? I wasn't, and I bet you weren't either.
I conclude you commented to lobby for TN liquor stores maintaining their exclusive on wine sales and that you may be affiliated with same.