WEDDING BARNS AND ALTERNATIVE VENUES ARE UNDER ATTACK
Effective 1/1/2026 Venues Throughout Wisconsin
Are Being Given An Ultimatum:
- Become fully licensed to serve alcohol and require all clients and guests to purchase all alcohol to be consumed from the venue; or
- Apply for a special permit to serve beer or wine only during an event. No hard liquor will be allowed to be brought in or consumed on the premises. The venue may only receive 6 special permits per year and no more than 1 per month; or
- No longer allow any alcohol to be consumed on the premises during events; or
- Shut down operations.
AS A RESULT, MANY WEDDING BARNS AND VENUES ARE BEING FORCED TO SHUT DOWN OR FORCE CLIENTS TO HAVE "DRY" EVENTS.
- Many venue owners have no desire to be in the business of selling alcohol. They rent their barns, farms, homes and cabins to others who want to host a family gathering, wedding, fundraiser, etc.
- These events are happening on private property. These land owners are being told their private homes and farms are now considered public property if they host an event.
- There are no consistent regulations for issuing liquor licenses. Municipalities can choose whether or not to issue a venue a liquor license, regardless of whether the venue owner is in compliance with all other liquor regulations. There are no guidelines that govern how or why a license may be granted a license or rejected, and no course of action for a venue should they feel the rejection was not fair or justified.
- Not all municipalities have enough liquor licenses to accommodate the number of venues who may wish to apply for a liquor license.
- Liquor license fees are not consistent among municipalities. License fees can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the municipality.
- Many venues are part-time rental businesses that help offset shrinking profit margins for farmers affected by lower commodity prices, increased costs for farming and climate change. There isn't enough money made by hosting a few events each summer to cover the increased costs such as a liquor license, liquor liability insurance, increased property damage, new refrigeration and storage needs to become compliant.
- Alcohol will be more difficult for venues to acquire. With only 3 main distributors throughout Wisconsin, the distributors are in a position and legally able to set their pricing, minimum order requirements and delivery areas. Therefore venues may not be able to purchase just one bottle of your favorite beverage without paying inflated fees to acquire it, drive unrealistic distances to pick it up and will have to pass those fees onto you, the consumer. It is not legal for a venue to purchase one bottle from a WalMart on your behalf, for instance. Neither can you.
WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS NEW LAW?
This law is intended to benefit large venues such as hotels, bars and taverns who believe that shutting down alternative venues will drive more traffic to them. They told legislators this law was needed to 'update decades-old language that doesn't include newer alcoholic beverages now being manufactured' and that 'all liquor establishments should have to play on the same playing field.' That sounds good to everyone, but it hid so many more harmful parts of the bill from those who usually don't have time to read a law fully before being asked to vote on it. That was specifically what happened with this bill. It was added to another bill as an 'amendment' and was not given due process by a full reading before the vote took place. As a result many legislators did not realize this law was going to put many Wisconsinites out of business.
The law was specifically sponsored by the following entities who hired full-time lobbyists to convince legislators during an election year that this was good for big businesses who would support legislators' campaigns: the Anheuser-Busch Companies, the Tavern League of Wisconsin, Kwik Trip, Molson Coors Brewing Co., New Glarus Brewing Company, the Wisconsin Craft Beverage Coalition, the Wisconsin Grocers Association and the Wisconsin Wine and Spirit Institute.
Smaller venue owners understand the desire to keep all their guests safe. They also understand that all American citizens have a right to peacefully celebrate life's most important moments wherever they wish, and to do so with or without alcohol if they choose.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Write your legislators and the governor! Ask them to delay this law from going into effect. There needs to be a more in-depth plan for how these changes are rolled out, both behind the scenes as well as within the public eye. Here is a link to the Wisconsin State Legislature's website where you can enter your address and it will give you the contact information of your legislators, including email addresses:
https://legis.wisconsin.gov/
Here is the mailing address for Governor Tony Evers:
P.O. Box 7863
Madison WI 53707
Wish to call your legislators instead? Here's the toll-free number to do that: 1-800-362-9472
The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution specifically states "The right of individuals to pursue a chosen profession, free from arbitrary or excessive government interference, is a fundamental civil right." As we see the US Constitution being challenged in so many ways these days, we need to put a stop to large corporations ending our citizens' rights to the American Dream. Will you help us?
If you wish to read 2023 Wisconsin Act 73 in its entirety, please feel free to download it below. For ease of reading, highlighted sections regarding the wedding venues and other alternative venues affected have been highlighted, starting on Page 9.
Thank you for your help!
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