Feb 1, 2017

By: Elizabeth Tansing, Director of State Government Relations, Food Marketing Institute  
Map of USA

A change of power always brings about a buzzing energy of newness, turnover and clean slates. While the new presidential administration is driving changes in policy, FMI expects the same as a majority of state legislatures swing back into session.

The November elections put the GOP in charge of 33 governor’s offices. They also dominate 68 state legislative chambers (including 17 with veto-proof majorities), compared to 31 controlled by Democrats. To add to their dominance, Republicans now hold trifectas in half of the nation – where a state’s governor’s office and both houses of the legislature are dominated by a single party. The Democrats hold six trifectas.

In 2017, FMI expects to sift through some 5,000 state bills of relevance to the grocery industry. To help our members wade through this yearly tsunami of bills, coupled with political changes, FMI releases the State Legislative Outlook every January. This annual report examines the issues our industry expects to confront during the upcoming legislative sessions on a state-by-state basis. Additionally, it analyzes the previous November’s election results for each state – and the potential consequences of those results.

New this year is the addition of local information, where it was available. To compile this comprehensive document, FMI collaborates with the different state grocery and retail associations, as well as FMI member government relations professionals.

FMI holds four Regional Legislative Meetings around the country where legislative information and strategy is shared and, subsequently, added into the State Legislative Outlook.

In the Southern region, top issues for the grocery industry are alcohol modernization, budget shortfalls, minimum wage, shopping bag restrictions and SNAP and WIC issues.

In the Northeast region, top issues for the grocery industry are alcohol modernization, minimum wage, paid sick leave, predictive scheduling, product stewardship, snack and beverage taxes and shopping bag restrictions.

In the Western region, top issues for the grocery industry are alcohol modernization, budget shortfalls, minimum wage, paid sick leave, predictive scheduling, tax increases and workers’ compensation.

In the Midwestern region, top issues for the grocery industry are alcohol modernization, budget shortfalls, gas taxes, minimum wage, paid sick leave, SNAP and WIC issues, retail property tax assessments, sales taxes, snack and beverage taxes, tobacco 21 and transportation and infrastructure funding.

As each region is both similar and diverse, so are its issues that it brings to the table. To stay up-to-date on these timely matters and to gain insight into other regional, state and local issues, see the member-only 2017 State Legislative Outlook.