Where Do You Stand on the Butter Battle?

A Racine legislator is part of the charge to repeal the state's remaining butter law. 

The law requires restaurants to offer patrons butter—not margarine—with their meals, unless the patron specifically requests margarine. Violating the statute comes with a possible penalty of a fine between $100 and $500 and/or spending up to three months in jail. Do it again, and the fine climbs to $500-$1,000 and imprisonment time grows to six months to one year. 

State Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, and Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, introduced the law to repeal the law.

Kooyenga told the Journal-Sentinel the existing law is "silly, antiquated and anti-free market." 

The state has a history of legislating the margarine-butter debate, starting with the 1895 ban on colored margarine. That led to a black market for margarine, known then as oleo. It seems like just about every Wisconsin family has a story about someone crossing the state line to stock up on yellow margarine, rather than buying the white margarine available in stateside grocery stores. The Journal-Sentinel story has a collection of photographs of women breaking the margarine law. 

The ban on colored margarine was repealed in 1967. 

The Associated Press pointed out the law requires butter be served to students, patients and inmates at state institutions, unless there is a health reason not to do so.

"It's pretty much butter across the board," said Department of Corrections spokeswoman Linda Eggert.

Kooyenga touted his bill to AP reporter Scott Bauer saying it would save money, since margarine is cheaper than butter.

The Wisconsin law would have saved the Food Renegade blogger some trouble. Back in December KristenM wrote about her disappointing quest for butter at an IHOP—which drew a visit by a manager and many blank stares—and the discovery that only one of her local restaurants served the real thing. The post drew 100 comments. She writes from Texas.

In case you were wondering, the rumored law requiring cheese be served with apple pie is just that: A rumor.