By Carrie Pond
Nashville, TN – Tennesseans could buy up to five cases of wine at out-of-state wineries and carry them back across state lines under a proposal that passed the House Finance Budget Subcommittee. The measure, sponsored by House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada, was approved on Wednesday and now heads to the full House Finance Committee. The companion bill was unanimously approved in the Senate last month. The measure is designed to overcome a recent federal appeals court opinion that found existing rules designed to promote Tennessee wineries are unfair to competitors from outside the state. The change would mark the first time in at least 70 years that Tennesseans are allowed to bring alcohol into the state.