The website's content and articles were migrated to a new framework in October 2023. You may see [shortcodes in brackets] that do not make any sense. Please ignore that stuff. We may fix it at some point, but we do not have the time now.
You'll also note comments migrated over may have misplaced question marks and missing spaces. All comments were migrated, but trackbacks may not show.
The site is not broken.
Now just try to imagine what will happen under Obamacare if you particular brand of flesh eating bacteria isn't on the "approved" list of diseases in the government data bank…
"So far, so good, as far as that goes — the state did have an interest in which brands the bars were selling. "
Really? What interest? If the tax is paid, why do we need the State to "register" the beers?
Different issue. By creating the law that gave them the power, they essentially created the interest, but that doesn't invalidate the interest. So long as that law is on the books, they are free to enforce it, assuming, arguendo, they are capable of doing so in an appropriate and competent manner… which, if this is any indication, remains an open question, in the very least.