Nick Fede, Jr., Director, Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative.

By Nick Fede, Jr., Director, Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative

Every January marks the beginning of Rhode Island’s annual legislative session. Typically, the session wraps in mid-June, following the passage of the next fiscal year’s budget. Like any other year, there will be no shortage of issues considered by state legislators. Some of those issues will, of course, be liquor-related.

Last year, the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative (RILOC) tracked and had positions on more than 30 pieces of legislation. This year will be no different and it is imperative for store owners to stay plugged in and active with RILOC, as many proposed alterations to state law would demonstrate a wave of change for liquor retailers.
So, how can a business owner have their voice be heard? The simple answer is to advocate for yourself and your business.

A legislator is tasked with hearing both sides of an issue and voting on whether that proposal should advance in the legislative process as a new law or if it should not be a law. Advocating on behalf of your business is the single most effective thing a person can do. It sounds so obvious, but in conversations with other industry members in different states that have lost legislative battles, that seems to be the most glaring factor.

Our constant collaboration with our affiliate members in American Beverage Licensees (ABL) helps us learn from other’s legislative victories and defeats. I engage weekly with my fellow board members from other states to bounce ideas around and to ask for or give help when needed. In short, we are better equipped to fight our battles because of ABL.

I am a big believer in learning from the past and building upon the legacy of those that came before me. My great uncle Nick was a founding board member of Rhode Island’s first association of liquor retailers, the Rhode Island Liquor Stores Association. He also served as Treasurer of ABL’s predecessor association, the National Liquor Stores Association. Sadly, he passed in 1997, way before I reached adulthood. Recently, I was given his briefcase, which turned out to be quite the time capsule. Within, I found clippings of newspaper articles and photos from the old days of the Rhode Island Liquor Stores Association.

I discovered that the issues that faced previous generations were not so different from the ones we face today. I am so proud that we have been able to build upon the work of those that came before us. It is our duty and privilege.
Now in our fourth year, RILOC will continue to advocate for package store owners, employees, customers and the industry as a whole at our State House. Even though we are always hard at work on Smith Hill, individual store owners need to maintain a grassroots presence in their own districts, where maintaining clear lines of communication with your local legislators is also extremely effective.

Retailers at the Rhode Island Liquor Stores Association annual Social, circa 1972.

When called upon this year and any year, please participate in submitting written testimony to committees when legislation arises. Stay plugged in with us via our digital newsletters, as we maintain constant contact throughout the year. We help with submission of written statements by including step-by-step instructions on how to participate in the process. Our voices will always be louder when we work together.

While legislative battles will always be a constant, one thing stops those bills from passing: advocacy. Making your voice heard, getting involved and working harder than those on the other side of an issue is vital to keeping current liquor statutes intact. I hope to see you at the next hearing!

If you’re not subscribed to our newsletters, please reach out to us today at RILiquorOperatorsCollaborative@gmail.com.

Nick Fede Jr. serves as Executive Director of the Rhode Island Liquor Operators Collaborative and is a third-generation liquor retailer.

The post RILOC Column: Advocacy First: Keep Working Together appeared first on The Beverage Journal.