LI beer distributors protest bottle deposit law
Newsday posted on their website the following story and video.

“Long Island beer wholesalers unhappy with the expanded bottle deposit law in this year’s state budget staged rallies Thursday outside offices of Democratic Assembly members who voted for the bill.

Bottlers and beverage distributors say the expansion places an unfair burden on their businesses that could lead to layoffs and job losses. “It’s a huge concern,” said Christine Dunne of Clare Rose, a large Long Island wholesaler.

The protests came as Gov. David A. Paterson signaled a willingness to negotiate a possible amendment to some of the bill’s terms, such as delaying the date when redeemable containers must carry a New York-specific UPC code. That provision is meant to stop people from redeeming bottles purchased in neighboring states without deposit laws.

The bill, already signed into law, adds a nickel deposit on water bottles and increases the handling fee paid to businesses where the containers are returned from 2 cents to 3.5 cents. It also gives the state 80 percent of unclaimed deposits, formerly kept by the beverage industry.