Oregon Liquor Control Commission
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) is a government agency of the U.S. state
of Oregon
. The OLCC was created by an act of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
in 1933, days after the repeal of prohibition
, as a means of providing control over the distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverage
s. To this end, the agency was given the authority to regulate and license those who manufacture, sell or serve alcohol. Oregon is one of 18 alcoholic beverage control state
s that directly control the sales of alcoholic beverages in the United States.
began in 1919 with the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment
. In the early 1930s, Oregon Governor
Julius Meier
appointed a committee, led by Dr. William S. Knox, to study Oregon's options regarding the regulation of alcoholic beverage
s in the state. In what came to be known as the Knox Report, the committee recommended a system similar to Canada
's.
Based on the recommendations in the Knox Report, the Oregon Legislative Assembly held a special session
that created the Oregon Liquor Control Commission in 1933, just days after the national repeal of prohibition. Governor Meier
signed the Liquor Control Act (also known as the Knox Act) on December 15, 1933. The act gave the state exclusive rights to sell distilled spirits
and fortified wine
as well as the authority to license private businesses to sell beer and wine by the bottle or glass.
after being charged with driving with a blood alcohol content
of 0.16, twice the legal limit in Oregon. The arrest was widely reported in mass media
after the incident occurred. Following the arrest and resignation, the OLCC board held an emergency meeting to appoint an interim acting executive director.
The Distilled Spirits program centrally purchases, warehouses, and distributes distilled spirits to Oregon's 240 state-regulated liquor store
s, which are operated and managed by state-appointed liquor agents who act as independent contractors.
The Enforcement and Compliance division has five regional offices—in Portland
, Medford
, Salem
, Bend
, and Eugene
—that license businesses and enforce liquor laws. Also OLCC Enforcement Agents are considered peace officers under Oregon law, but they do not carry firearms.
. The OLCC uses Law Enforcement Cadets and members of Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue
to enter stores and attempt to purchase alcohol. Decoys must provide actual ID to the teller if asked. OLCC puts decoy stings on about every two to four months.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The OLCC was created by an act of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
in 1933, days after the repeal of prohibition
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition...
, as a means of providing control over the distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s. To this end, the agency was given the authority to regulate and license those who manufacture, sell or serve alcohol. Oregon is one of 18 alcoholic beverage control state
Alcoholic beverage control state
Alcoholic beverage control states, generally called control states, are those in the United States that have state monopoly over the wholesaling and/or retailing of some or all categories of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits....
s that directly control the sales of alcoholic beverages in the United States.
History
Prohibition in the United StatesProhibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
began in 1919 with the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
. In the early 1930s, Oregon Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Julius Meier
Julius Meier
Julius L. Meier was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become a lawyer before entering the family business in Portland...
appointed a committee, led by Dr. William S. Knox, to study Oregon's options regarding the regulation of alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s in the state. In what came to be known as the Knox Report, the committee recommended a system similar to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's.
Based on the recommendations in the Knox Report, the Oregon Legislative Assembly held a special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
that created the Oregon Liquor Control Commission in 1933, just days after the national repeal of prohibition. Governor Meier
Julius Meier
Julius L. Meier was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become a lawyer before entering the family business in Portland...
signed the Liquor Control Act (also known as the Knox Act) on December 15, 1933. The act gave the state exclusive rights to sell distilled spirits
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
and fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
as well as the authority to license private businesses to sell beer and wine by the bottle or glass.
2006 director resignation after DUI arrest
On April 27, 2006, Teresa Kaiser, the director of the commission at that time, resignedResignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
after being charged with driving with a blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content , also called blood alcohol concentration, blood ethanol concentration, or blood alcohol level is most commonly used as a metric of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes....
of 0.16, twice the legal limit in Oregon. The arrest was widely reported in mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
after the incident occurred. Following the arrest and resignation, the OLCC board held an emergency meeting to appoint an interim acting executive director.
Programs
Today, Oregon's alcohol regulation program has two major components: Distilled Spirits, and Enforcement and Compliance.The Distilled Spirits program centrally purchases, warehouses, and distributes distilled spirits to Oregon's 240 state-regulated liquor store
Liquor store
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....
s, which are operated and managed by state-appointed liquor agents who act as independent contractors.
The Enforcement and Compliance division has five regional offices—in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
, Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, Bend
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
, and Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
—that license businesses and enforce liquor laws. Also OLCC Enforcement Agents are considered peace officers under Oregon law, but they do not carry firearms.
Board
A five-member board of commissioners meets monthly to set OLCC policy and make decisions in areas such as liquor licenses, rules, contested case hearings and appointments of liquor store agents. The governor appoints and the Senate confirms these commissioners for four-year terms. Each commissioner represents a congressional district and one also represents the restaurant and hospitality industry.Divisions
- Regulatory Operations issues liquor licenses and alcohol service permits. Licenses are required for anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells alcoholic beverages in Oregon. Service permits are issued to employees who serve alcohol in restaurants, bars, or other businesses. Regulatory Operations also promotes compliance with liquor laws through education and proactive programs for licensees and permittees. This program also focuses on enforcement efforts geared toward reducing underage drinking.
- Merchandising Operations has three divisions: Purchasing, Distribution, and Store Operations. The Merchandising Program operates the state's retail liquor business, including supplying the 244 (as of September 2010) retail liquor storeLiquor storeIn the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....
s. Oregon has been partially privatized since the 1980's. Oregon retail liquor stores are privately owned by independent small business contractors. The OLCC contracts with the independent business owners to sell Oregonians the distilled beverageDistilled beverageA distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
s they want, while operating a business that is one of the top revenue producers for the state. In fiscal year 2010, the OLCC contributed nearly $172 million to Oregon’s general fund, county and city treasuries from the sales of distilled spirits, taxes on beer and wine and other revenue. - Support Services consists of three divisions: Administration, Administrative Services, and Financial Services. The program provides support and administrative services for OLCC staff and numerous partners.
Decoy operations
The OLCC conducts multiple underage undercover decoy alcohol stingsSting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
. The OLCC uses Law Enforcement Cadets and members of Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue is a non-profit volunteer search and rescue resource for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States...
to enter stores and attempt to purchase alcohol. Decoys must provide actual ID to the teller if asked. OLCC puts decoy stings on about every two to four months.
See also
- Alcohol in OregonAlcohol in OregonThe U.S. state of Oregon has an extensive history of laws regulating the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, dating back to 1844. It has been an alcoholic beverage control state, with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission holding a monopoly over the sale of all distilled beverages, since...
- Alcohol laws of the United States by stateAlcohol laws of the United States by stateThis list of alcohol laws of the United States by State provides an overview of alcohol-related laws by state throughout the United States. This list is not intended to provide a breakdown of such laws by local jurisdiction within a state; see that state's alcohol laws page for more detailed...
- Alcohol monopolyAlcohol monopolyAn alcohol monopoly is a government monopoly on manufacturing and/or retailing of some or all alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine and spirits. It can be used as an alternative for total prohibition...
- Controlled substances in OregonControlled substances in OregonThe U.S. state of Oregon has various policies restricting the production, sale, and use of different substances. In 2006, Oregon's per capita drug use exceeded the national average...
- List of law enforcement agencies in Oregon
- Oregon breweries
- Oregon wineOregon wineThe state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the...