A bill that would allow a patron to bring a properly sealed bottle of wine into a restaurant that already possessed an on premise liquor license was signed by Governor Rick Snyder on December 21. As passed, the licensed restaurant would have total control over whether to allow patrons to bring their own wine into the establishment and also provides flexibility for how a restaurateur would choose to implement the program. The bill also allows for a corkage fee per bottle, but does not establish a floor or ceiling for how much a restaurant may charge.
- Wine Bottles: Mr. Snyder also signed HB 5046 (PA 235, effective March 14, 2014) allowing patrons to bring an unopened bottle of wine into a restaurant where permitted and allowing the restaurant to establish a corking fee. MIRA supported this bill.
- Conditional licenses – The Conditional License bill which MIRA supported was also signed into law: HB 4277 (PA 236, effective May 22, 2014) which requires the Liquor Control Commission to permit conditional liquor licenses.
- Skimming Devices: Mr. Snyder also signed bills that would make it a crime to use skimming devices, which illegally attach to automatic teller machines and record a person entering a PIN. The device then reads the information on the ATM or the debit or credit card’s magnetic strip. The new laws mandate a person convicted of the crime could face five years in prison for a first offense, increasing to 15 years for a third and subsequent offense.
The five bill package (HB 5050, PA 212; HB 5051, PA 213; HB 5052, PA 214; HB 5053, PA 215; and HB 5054, PA 216) goes into effect April 1, 2014.
“These devices are used to steal from others, and we need to crack down on this problem to help protect Michiganders,” Mr. Snyder said in a statement released on Thursday. “This is a bipartisan package of bills approved unanimously, showing the united commitment to fighting this growing issue.”
- County-wide SDD License Transfers – House Bill 5140, sponsored by Rep. John Walsh, won overwhelming bi-partisan support in the House and Senate. The bill was passed on the final day of session, and signed by the Governor (PA 237, effective December 26, 2013). Specifically, HB 5140 authorizes the intra-county transfer of escrowed SDD licenses. MIRA worked to amend the bill before its final passage. However, our amendments to protect against transfers into already saturated or oversaturated areas, and codification of the ½ Mile Rule were defeated.
