State by state access to the beer you like

Beer drinkers choice is considered by state legislators

The good and the bad are still keeping the halls of state legislatures buzzing.  No, not with bees, but with arguments and discussion about new legislation that could have a huge impact on responsible beer drinker’s access to the variety of beer they enjoy. Here are recent updates from Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Mntana, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia.

1. The Alabama House passed a bill allowing stronger beer (up from current 6 percent to 13.9 percent abv) to be sold in Alabama. It now goes to the Senate where if passed and signed into law will allow some imported and craft beers with a higher alcohol content to be sold in Alabama.
2. In Arizona’s H.B. 2524 sought to impose a new $3.50 per gallon tax on all alcohol (beer is currently taxed at the rate of 16 cents/gallon).  The bill has been held in committee.
3. In California AB 1019 seeks to impose a $0.10 per drink surcharge collected by wholesale/distributor.
   SB 558 establishes the Alcohol Abuse Treatment Program Fund and would authorize the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to assess and collect a fee not to exceed $0.05 per drink to fund the program.
4. In Colorado House Bill 1192 died in committee.  It sought to allow the sale of full-strength beer in grocery stores.  The Colorado Brewers Guild, an organization representing the state’s small brewers, opposed the legislation sighting evidence that proposed legislation would devastate the culture of small and independent brewing in Colorado and reduce beer drinker’s choice. [This was a difficult argument to follow, but legitimate]
5. Georgia lobbying interests opposed and successfully convinced legislators to kill an initiative to permit small breweries to sell their beer directly to the beer drinker from their brewery location.  The bill never got out of committee, so discussion for or against was never allowed to go public.
6. In Iowa, House File 21 seeks to enable certain alcohol permit holders (brewpubs included) to produce and sell high alcohol content beer (up to 20 percent alcohol by weight)  for consumption on the premises. Photo right: Will your beer glass be empty or full of the beer of your choice?
7. In Indiana House Bill 1613 seeks to increase the beer and cider excise tax from 11.5 cents to 65 cents per gallon.  Senate Bill 442 allows a microbrewery to sell its beer for carryout on Sunday.
8. In Kansas, like Colorado, lawmakers considered legislation that would allow supermarkets and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer.  The measure died.
9. In Montana Legislation (H.B. 400) seeking to raise the allowable alcohol content in beer to 14% abv has been has been passed out of committee.
10. In North Carolina a 43 cent per gallon increase in the beer tax (to 96 cents/gallon) is under consideration in the state legislature.
11. Oregon Brewers are still fighting the notion of a 1900% state excise tax increase.
12. In Texas Senate Bill 462  would repeal the section of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code that provides a 25% tax exemption for breweries producing under 75,000 barrels annually.   H.B. 1062 provides that the holder of a brewer's permit in qualified locations be permitted to sell beer  for off- and on-premises consumption in an amount that does not exceed 35,000 gallons annually
13. Homebrew legislation passed in Utah is still awaiting the Governor’s signature.  Also in Utah House voted 58-2  to allow the sale of full-strength draft beer in bars and restaurants.  Currently in Utah draft beer contains no more than 4 percent by volume and all full-strength beer in Utah is sold from state liquor stores unrefrigerated.  There’s also a measure awaiting a vote in the Senate that would require cocktails be mixed behind 10-foot-high walls in restaurants. March 13 update: The Utah Senate has decided against allowing the sale of full-strength draft beer in bars and restaurants.
14. In Washington S.B. 5060 increases the amount of home-made an adult may remove from the home from one gallon to 20 gallons for the purposes of exhibition, tastings and competitions.
15. The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill (HB2719) recently to allow the sale of high-quality craft beers in West Virginia, by raising the limit of alcohol in beer from 6 percent by volume to 12 percent.  It now goes to the WV Senate.

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Charlie Twitters at  twitter.com/CharliePapazian