Legislative & Regulatory

The UHA contends that considering the views of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unconstitutional under federal laws separating church and state.

Hospitality association attorneys originally filed the lawsuit in June. It targets Senate Bill 314, which bans daily drink specials and ties the number of liquor licenses to population totals and the number of state-employed police officers.

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A similar measure was defeated by the voters last year which would have eliminated price posting and allowed direct sales for beer. This year’s measure leaves beer out.

Reports filed with the state’s Public Disclosure Commission show that Costco committed another $8.9 million to the campaign on Monday.

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The BA Board of Directors released a statement today saying that the association “considers H.R. 1236/S. 534 as the best framework for excise tax relief and job creation for America’s small brewers. Dozens of BA members have invested their individual time and effort to help build a strong bipartisan base of support for this legislation in Congress. It should also be recognized that the existing bills send a strong anti-excise tax signal to those who may want to increase excise taxes on small brewers. The Brewers Association supports the Congressional sponsors of this legislation and looks forward to working with them to promote job growth across the nation.”

The BI (which primarily represents large global brewers and importers)will now most likely oppose the two bills.

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That’s more than the $210,000 the group spent in the first quarter and less than the $250,000 it spent in the second quarter of 2010.

The trade group — whose members include Anheuser-Busch InBev, Heineken USA Inc. and MillerCoors — lobbied on tax, labeling, advertising, alcohol awareness and other industry issues.

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Lawmakers have a new bill that would exempt most craft brewers from the beer distribution changes made in the 2011-13 state budget.

The bill is authored by Representative Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville) who feels the new regulations hurt competition, limit trade and discourage investment.

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But a few legislators have apparently vowed to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to repeal certain provisions that pertain to craft breweries.

A bill that would restrict the more than 60 craft brewers across the state in self-distribution and owning their own pubs sits on the Governor’s desk awaiting signage into law. The bill would also create uncertainty among contract brewers.

But a group of Wisconsin legislators led by led by Senators Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) and Pam Galloway (R-Wausau) has asked Gov. Scott Walker to veto a provision in the state budget that would restrict the ability of craft brewers to wholesale other brewers’ beer and own taverns.

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New Hampshire Governor Lynch signed HB 262 into law June 6th, and it goes into effect on July 1st. According to Erin Glass at the Brewer’s Association, New Hampshire is the first state to recognize Nano Breweries as a separate category in the Liquor Laws.

As a result, licensing fees for any nano brewery will be $240 per year, instead of the $1200 small breweries paid previously.

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The Brewers Association (BA) shared the news today that the Senate Small Brewers Caucus has been established. The formation of the Caucus was led by Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who support the role of America’s small and independent brewers as an engine of economic growth in the country.

In a Dear Colleague letter, Senators Baucus and Crapo noted, “In recent years, the more than 1,700 craft brewers all across America have met growing consumer demand for their products by brewing flavorful and innovative beers which they encourage Americans to enjoy in a responsible manner. These small and independent brewers…generate more than $3 billion in wages and benefits, and pay more than $2.3 billion in business, personal and consumption taxes.”

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New Jersey State Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin last week announced the introduction of legislation that could revise restrictions currently in place for New Jersey microbreweries and brewpubs.

Among other changes, the bill would amend fees levied against breweries for the production of certain quantities of beer, increase the maximum allowed annual production of beer, and allow all types of small brewers to offer samples and sales of their products in a greater variety of venues.

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Predictably, a bill in Texas that would have allowed Texas breweries to charge for tours and then allow visitors to take home up to a 12-pack worth of beer died in the House without a vote.

The Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas (WBDT) perceived this as a threat and demanded an amendment so that the bill would only apply to breweries producing 75,000 barrels annually, which excluded Anheuser-Busch InBev. Never mind that Anheuser-Busch does not offer tours.

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The Maryland Senate voted 27-19 Wednesday to increase the state’s sales tax on alcohol from 6 percent to 9 percent over three years.
Eleven Republicans and eight Democrats voted against the bill. The measure now goes to the House of Delegates.

Analysts estimate the increase would raise about $29 million in the next fiscal year. It would raise $58 million in the following year and $85 million in the third year.

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Illinois’ craft brewers are just a House vote and Gov. Pat Quinn’s signature away from cementing their right to distribute their own beer – although with very tight restrictions.

A House committee on Wednesday unanimously approved the distribution proposal, Senate Bill 754, even though it was opposed by both the Illinois Craft Brewers’ Guild and Anheuser-Busch InBev – the world’s largest brewery.

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It seems our Tennessee legislature is taking backwards steps, steps that limit high-gravity brewing in Tennessee to only THREE locations across the state. Something else seems fishy about this too, as if someone is trying to manipulate laws to prevent free competition. THEY ARE VOTING TODAY
A good article explaining this current situation is:

http://beernews.org/2011/05/sierra-nevada-east-hq-search-moves-to-tennessee-as-local-liquor-law-debate-ignites/

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The Minnesota Senate approved legislation last week that would allow Surly Brewing Co. to sell pints of their beer at a proposed $20 million “destination brewery.”

The measure cleared the Senate on a unanimous vote after moving through the House earlier this week.

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An amendment that Texas craft brewers inserted into their own bill to appease distributors now has bounced back to bite them from the other side of the “aisle” – big brewers.

Anheuser-Busch vice president for state affairs Mark Bordas went before a state Senate committee yesterday to oppose a proposal that would let consumers visiting small breweries to buy up to 144 ounces of beer to take home.

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