In the wake of Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas, taxpayers have spent years funding a defensive effort against activists intent on dismantling state regulatory systems that serve legitimate and demonstrable public health and safety interests, says American Beverage Licensees Executive Director John Bodnovich.

“Access to the courts is an American right,” writes Bodnovich, “[but] courts have repeatedly affirmed the constitutional authority of states to regulate alcohol within their borders. Once courts across the country have repeatedly reached the same conclusion, the public has a legitimate interest in asking: who does this seemingly endless litigation actually serve?”