Number	21645
Subject	State Government
Source	Detroit Free Press
State	Michigan
Year	2005
Publication Date	February 10-12, 2005
Summary	Dixon discovers that Michigan's beer and wine distributors are protected by state law from competition, with none of their customers getting any price breaks. Dixon and the Free Press conducted a survey that indicated beer and wine prices had a tendency to be higher in Michigan than in neighboring states. The prices are so high that Northwest Airlines had to truck beer from Minnesota to Lansing's Metro Airport instead of buying the beer locally. Wholesalers retain this control because the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association spends hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to make campaign contributions to legislators, paying for legislators' lavish vacations, and picking up their bar and restaurant tabs. Dixon found that out of the 148 people elected to the Michigan House and Senate in 2002, all but 9 received contributions from the beer and wine wholesalers' political action committee.
Category	General
Pages	29
Keywords	Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association;Michigan legislature;Michigan Liquor Control Commission;Michigan campaign finance;Northwest Airlines;beer and wine wholesalers' political action committee;Michigan Campaign Finance Network;alcohol wholesaler lobbying
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