There won't be soon, at any rate. Because of the state shutdown (we're in Day 13) Miller-Coors couldn't get the paperwork for its licenses processed in time. According to the Wall Street Journal,
MillerCoors was told by Minnesota officials that it must remove its 39 brands of beer from shelves statewide because the company's brand license registrations weren't processed before the state government shut down June 30 for budget reasons.
An even bigger concern, however, is that hundreds of bars, restaurants and retailers may run out of alcohol before the government goes back to work. Such outlets need a "buyer's card" in order to purchase products from wholesalers, and cards for 424 buyers will expire by Aug. 1, according to Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesman Doug Neville. The sellers can work through their remaining inventory, he said, but won't be able to replenish with new bottles and kegs.As the peerless blog Wonkette tweeted,
We in MN hope that the liquor lobby will succeed where those boring social service orgs failed.In case you're not familiar with the backstory, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and the Republican Legislature couldn't agree on a budget by June 30. So the state shut down -- except for essential services, which are ordered by a court to continue. The reason for the budget impasse is that Republicans staunchly refused to raise a tiny tax on Minnesota's 7,700 millionaires to pay for the budget shortfall.
At least 22,000 people were laid off. Disabled people can't use public transportation to get to their doctors. Businesses that depend on public worker spending and tourism are suffering. Road construction has stopped dead in its tracks.
Still, there was no end in sight. But the prospect of MillerCoors removing beer from shelves may just force a compromise. By Happy Hour on Friday.
Here's a petition you can sign to tell Minnesota Republicans to do their job.
