INDIANAPOLIS — Every member of the Indiana General Assembly will likely deal with alcohol legislation at some point.
Many also accept campaign contributions from the alcohol lobby.
On Tuesday, a 17-member panel of elected officials and lay members begins to examine Indiana alcohol laws. In the first year of its two-year study, the Alcohol Code Revision Commission is to look at retail laws. A final report is due Nov. 1, 2018.
All of the nine current and past legislators named to the commission have accepted campaign contributions from the liquor lobby, according to campaign finance reports.
Much of the commission's upcoming work comes from last session’s often contentious debate over House Bill 1496, which Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law. The bill was seen as an attack on Ricker’s convenience stores, which legally obtained two licenses to sell cold beer by converting sites into restaurants.
Under Indiana law, cold beer can be sold only in package liquor stores. In part, HB 1496 prevents Ricker’s stores from renewing its restaurant licenses.
Appointments to the commission were made by Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne; House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis; Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson; and House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City. Long voted in favor of final passage of HB 1496. Lanane and Pelath voted against it. Bosma, as House Speaker, was not required to vote, and did not.
Commission Chair Beverly Gard, who was appointed by Long, served as a Republican state senator from Greenfield from 1988 to 2012, when she did not seek re-election. Her 2010 and 2011 campaign donations included $500 each year from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis. There were no liquor lobby donations in 2012.
Here is a list of the other commission members, including the most recently reported campaign contributions involving the alcohol industry.
Beer Industry PAC represents beer wholesalers. Indiana Licensed Beverage Association represents liquor wholesalers. Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers represents liquor stores. Southern Wine & Spirits is a beer, wine and liquor distributor.
Senate members appointed by Long:
• Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, sponsored HB 1496 in the Senate. He chairs the Public Policy Committee, where alcohol legislation can end up. His 2016 campaign donations include: $1,000 from 21st Amendment, Indianapolis; $250 from Fowler Liquors, Rensselaer; $250 from Liquorland, Indianapolis; $1,000 from Keg-n-Bottle, Anderson; $1,000 from Sun King Brewing, Indianapolis; $2,000 from Brewers of Indiana Guild, Indianapolis; $1,000 from Anheuser Busch Companies, Columbus, Ohio: $1,000 from Republic National Distributing Co., Indianapolis; $250 from A-1 Liquors, Indianapolis; $1,000 from Cork XII Liquors, Greensburg; $500 from MillerCoors LLC, Milwaukee; $600 from Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers for golf outing. Related to golf outing: $2,500 from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Miramar, Fla.$2,500 from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis; $1,000 from First Amendment Inc., Indianapolis; $300 from Lake County Licensed Beverage Association, Hammond; $600 from Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association, Indianapolis. $1,200 from DeCoy’s Neighborhood Bar, Michigan City.
• Sen. Eric Bassler, R-Washington, voted against HB 1496. His 2016 campaign donations include: $150 from Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, Indianapolis; $150 from Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association, Indianapolis; $500 from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis; and $116.22 in-kind donation for a fundraiser from Monarch Beverage PAC, Indianapolis.
Senate members appointed by Lanane, whose district includes Ricker's main offices:
• Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, voted in support of HB 1496, which he co-authored. His 2016 campaign donations include: $500 from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis.
• Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Portage, voted in support of HB 1496. Her 2016 campaign donations include: $500 from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis; $400 from Hoosier Beverage Association, Indianapolis; $350 from Anheuser-Busch PAC; $500 from Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, Indianapolis.
House members appointed by Bosma:
• Rep. Matthew Lehman, R-Berne, voted in support of HB 1496. His 2016 campaign donations include: $300 from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Miramar, Fla.; $1,000 from Anheuser-Busch Corp., Columbus, Ohio; $1,000 from Cork VIII Liquors, Shelbyville; $250 from A-1 Liquors, Indianapolis; $1,000 from from Keg-n-Bottle, Anderson; $550 from Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, Indianapolis; $1,000 from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis; $500 from Hoosier Beverage Association, Indianapolis; $250 from Antz Marching LLC doing business as Keg Liquors in New Albany.
• Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, authored and voted for HB 1496. His 2016 campaign contributions include: $300 from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Miramar, Fla.; $500 from Anheuser-Busch, Columbus, Ohio; $250 from Miller Coors, Milwaukee; $300 from Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, Indianapolis; and $500 from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis.
House members appointed by Pelath:
• Rep. Terri Jo Austin, D-Anderson (her district includes Ricker’s main offices), voted against passage of HB 1496. Her 2016 campaign donations include: $500 from Anheuser-Busch, Columbus, Ohio; and $300 from Southern Wine and Spirits.
• Rep. Philip GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, voted in support of HB 1496 which he co-authored. His 2016 campaign donations include: $300 Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Miramar, Fla.; $2,000 from 21st Amendment, Indianapolis; $2,450 from Liquorland, Indianapolis; $250 from Batesville Liquor Group, Batesville; $1,000 from Cork XI Liquor, Shelbyville; $500 from Beer Industry PAC, Indianapolis; $500 from Wine & Spirits Distributors of Indiana PAC, Indianapolis; $250 from Millers Coors, Milwaukee; $500 from Monarch Beverage, Indianapolis; and $300 from Sun King Brewing LLC, Indianapolis.
Lay members appointed by Bosma:
• Alex Huskey, former chairman of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, is chancellor at Ivy Tech Community College’s Marion campus. He is also a pastor in Marion. He has also served as superintendent of the Indiana Excise Police.
• Douglas M. Kowalski, former executive secretary and hearing judge for the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, is the risk manager for Indianapolis Public Schools.
Lay members appointed by Long:
• Terry J. Bauer, Terre Haute, served on the Indiana Excise Police for 37 years, reaching the rank of lieutenant. He conducted field work, served as a public information officer and audited alcohol sales licenses.
• Keith Byers, Fort Wayne, took over his family-owned company, Automotive Color & Supply, before his 30th birthday.
Lay members appointed by Lanane:
• Randall L. Woodruff, an Anderson attorney, specializes in family law, bankruptcy, estate planning and divorce.
• Jennifer Bott is dean of the Miller College of Business at Ball State University.
Lay members appointed by Pelath:
• William Boklund served as LaPorte Superior Court judge in Michigan City for nearly two decades. He did not seek re-election to a fourth term in 2014.
• Gina-Gail S. Fletcher, is an associate professor at Maurer School of Law at Indiana University Bloomington.