This post originally appeared at https://wisconsindailystar.com/news/judge-allows-wedding-barn-lawsuit-over-wisconsin-liquor-law-to-continue/tcsquare/2024/11/28/

by Thérèse Boudreaux

A liquor lawsuit filed against the Wisconsin Department of Revenue by two small business owners will continue after a judge denied DOR’s attempts to dismiss it.

The case, brought by Farmview Event Barn LLC and Monarch Valley Weddings and Events LLC with legal aid from law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, has argued recent changes in Wisconsin liquor laws pertaining to event venues are unconstitutionally burdensome and essentially regulates the businesses out of existence.

“This is a great win for our clients and for anyone opposed to government-sponsored cronyism and economic protectionism in our state,” WILL Deputy Counsel Lucas Vebber said. “This legislation is nothing more than an attack on their businesses to limit or eliminate competition–and those facts will finally come to light through the legal process.”

Act 73, adopted last year and effective January 1, 2026, included a change aimed at wedding barns that allow people to bring their own beer and liquor to their parties. Under Act 73, wedding barns must either get a no sale event venue permit and be limited to six events per year or get a liquor license like other venues that hold weddings and similar events.

The lawsuit says that the amended law, by upending the plaintiffs’ entire business models, violates their rights as guaranteed by the Wisconsin Constitution.

“It is unfair that the State of Wisconsin has chosen to single out the few barn venues that are a destination only. We lease our space to couples wishing to have a country-style wedding,” Monarch Valley Wedding and Events owner Daniel Gallagher said. “Requiring us to be a liquor retailer in a dry township is causing our small, family-run business – which already pays state and local real estate taxes – to go out of business.”

Farmview Event Barn owner Jean Bahn said the legislation was designed by special interest groups and hurts small businesses.

“I am not in this to become a millionaire, we are just trying to get by,” Farmview Event Barn owner Jean Bahn said. “Hosting low-cost weddings in our barn allows us to pay for maintenance and updates of our home and farm equipment to keep our farm up and running. This legislation was designed by special interests in Madison to limit competition, and that’s not right.”

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Thérèse Boudreaux is an apprentice reporter covering Michigan and Wisconsin for The Center Square, under the mentorship of Midwest Regional Editor J.D. Davidson. Her work focuses on election-related news in these two states. Previously, she interned at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Thérèse graduated with a major in politics from Hillsdale College in May of 2024, where she produced award-winning radio journalism.
Photo “Farmview Event Barn, LLC” by Farmview Event Barn, LLC.

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