An Oregon bill to increase the state excise tax on beer, cider and wine by nearly 3,000% has been proposed. House Bill 3296 would increase the tax on beer from the current $2.60 a barrel to $72.60 per barrel.
The bill is intended to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for prevention and treatment of substance abuse.
Just last fall, a similar bill was pulled by Gov. Kate Brown who felt that the increase would hurt the state’s beer and wine industry. If passed, the increase would be the first in the state in about 40 years.
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