A Booze Company Is California Lawmakers' Largest Donor in 2017

This week, big donors to the California Assembly and Senate—those who gave more than $10,000 a year—had to report on donations given during the first quarter of 2017.

Guess who was the most active donor?

Answer: Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits. In fact, the liquor company donated a total of $149,000 to three dozen Cali lawmakers. Southern Glazer, by the way, is the largest distributor of wine and spirits in the United States, with business in 35 states. Why would a liquor company be doling out so much money to state legislators? Well, the reason behind these large donations may well lie in the company's interest in two laws that are being debated now in the California legislature, according to a lobbying report issued by the company.

The first bill, Assembly Bill 479, is a proposal to raise the excise tax on hard alcohol. The bill has been proposed as a measure to make up for lost revenue thanks to a proposed sales tax exemption for tampons and diapers; about that bill, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia has said, "It's time to tax liquor before ladies."

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The second bill of interest to the liquor company is Senate Bill 56. That bill would work in the liquor company's favor by loosening rules on advertising at sports venues for purveyors of alcohol—obviously an enticing regulation for a liquor distributor.

MUNCHIES has reached out to Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits for comment, but has yet to hear back.

More than a hundred big donors gave a total of more than $1.43 million to lawmakers in California during the first quarter. Still, Southern Glazer rose to the top. Kevin de León, a Democrat from Los Angeles, received the most donations, followed by Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley, and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, a democrat from San Diego.

Big liquor is making its feelings known in California. Only time will tell how the expenditure influences the passage of the laws in question, or whether this company will have a hangover from its spending.