In February, a number of Irish citizens were surprised to find out that selling Kerrygold butter — a line of butter produced in Ireland — is a criminal offense in Wisconsin. Irish Central reports:
Under a 1970 law all butter sold in the state must be subjected to scrutiny by a panel, which recently ruled Kerrygold was not compliant. Their problem with Kerrygold’s products was that the cattle who produce the milk for the cheese and butter are grass fed, something the panel ruled was against state law.
Any shopkeepers who continue to stock the brand face a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail — something that has enraged consumers.
In response, Wisconsin consumers have taken to traveling across state lines to buy Kerrygold butter in Illinois.
In March, a group of Wisconsin citizens took to the courts in the hopes of gaining the freedom to freely buy whatever butter they want:
Tired of trekking across state lines to stock up, [Jean Smith] and a handful of other Wisconsin butter aficionados filed a lawsuit this week challenging the law, saying local consumers and businesses “are more than capable of determining whether butter is sufficiently creamy, properly salted, or too crumbly.” No government help needed, they say.
While the matter of butter may seem small, there are three valuable lessons we can learn from Wisconsin's war against foreign butter. Moreover, all these lessons apply well beyond the world of dairy products.
Lesson 1: "Public Safety" Is Really Just about Government Favors for Special Interests
In cases like these, it's routine for state officials to claim that the law has something to do with public safety. More savvy consumers, of course, immediately suspected that the law isn't about safety at all, but is about protecting Wisconsin dairies from consumers.
Lesson 1: "Public Safety" Is Really Just about Government Favors for Special Interests
In cases like these, it's routine for state officials to claim that the law has something to do with public safety. More savvy consumers, of course, immediately suspected that the law isn't about safety at all, but is about protecting Wisconsin dairies from consumers.
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Lesson 2: Decentralization = Freedom
Fortunately for the residents of Wisconsin, the laws of Wisconsin on this matter only extend to the state line. Once outside the state, consumers can purchase a wider array of dairy products.
Imagine, however, if the Wisconsin ban were a matter of national policy or — worse yet — imposed by international agreements like the TPP or NAFTA.
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Lesson 3: Free Trade Benefits Everyone (Except the Crony Capitalists)
Although the Wisconsin regulations on butter are not technically a tariff, they have the effect of a tariff because the burden of the regulations tend to fall disproportionately on foreign foods. Moreover, if the defenders of the status quo were honest with the public, they would just come out and admit that yes, the law exists to protect local dairy producers from outside competition.
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Originally Posted by Ron Paul
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