Evers won’t force wedding barns to get liquor licenses

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers’ spokeswoman says his administration won’t force wedding barns to obtain liquor licenses.

Former Attorney General Brad Schimel threw wedding barns’ future into question with an informal opinion in November saying private events in public spaces require liquor licenses. State law doesn’t define public spaces, however, and two farmers who run wedding bans have sued to ensure they don’t need liquor licenses.

Baldauff said Friday that Evers’ administration doesn’t want to deviate from the Department of Revenue’s long-standing practice of not requiring wedding barns to obtain licenses. She didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking more details.

Conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which is representing the farmers, called Baldauff’s statement a step in the right direction.