Texas Beer-Related Legislation Watch

So I'm kinda ignorant of the how exactly the TX legislature works... If the Senate bill makes it out of committee and actually manages to pass the Senate, does that bill then get referred to the House or does the House have to pass their own after it goes through committee?

 

Are there any costs other than labor that it would really increase?

I always feel like an alcoholic when I walk up to the unlit beer section of HEB on Sunday mornings because I forgot. Or when those assholes forget to turn off the lights for the beer section and I start walking towards the register with beer...

 

Hey y'all -

So as @Austinbeerworks stated above, the hearing has been postponed. Open The Taps just sent out this update in response to this: http://openthetaps.org/call-to-action-for-sb1386-update-off-premise-brewery-sales/

PLEASE PLEASE call your senators, especially Senator Eltife and express your concern. I called Senator Whitmire, who happens to be my Senator, and his staff was very helpful. It takes literally five minutes of your time, and all you have to do is politely support the bill and ask that they pass on your support (leave a name and number) and that you really want to see this bill passed for the good of Texas. Etc. Etc.

 

Nathan's on point. I sent an email out to all the committee members and will call my senators' when I get a chance. Two have already been back to me. Senator Whitmire's office was very helpful, I spoke to Doug Clements...

Doug said he has provided positive analysis and his support to Sen. Whitmire and cannot say whether Whitmire will support. He relayed that the principle argument in favor of this bill is that wineries and distilleries already have this ability but breweries do not. Of course, there are competing interests and distributors carry a lot of weight in the legislature.

Its Eltife's bill and Eltife's committee. Eltife may have pulled the bill because of the trouble it caused and that it may not move forward, but because Eltife was a proponent of craft breweries in the last session, this one may come back up to hearing and out of committee. It needs people like us to call Eltife's in an educated, respectful manner to voice our support of the bill and would like to see it heard.

The committee meets every tuesday and they decide which bills will be heard late in the week. So sooner than later, call Eltife's office: 512-463-0101

 

I watched this last night, something that 512 posted on their FB page: http://www.myfoxaustin.com/clip/11344538/microbrewery-bill

I contacted my senator and representative and voiced my concern and opposition to this bill. I urge you to contact your representatives and senators and let them know where you stand.

 

Please don't.

Senator Thompson has already indicated she would not go forward with this bill. The fact that this is still hitting news cycles is ridiculous. Continuing to harass her and others about it is harming our cause.

 

I disagree. And I think her use of the bill as a way to 'remind' craft brewers about how far last year got is ridiculous.

But wait, I come from a state where there are not archaic prohibitive laws on the books.

 

You also come from a state that just lost the National Championship....too soon?

 

Just for the record, I contacted MY representative and senator, not her. I don't know where along the line that got diluted into people thinking I contacted her, but my post above clearly states I contacted my local rep and sen.

I still think it was a classless move by her in the first place. What a sellout.

 

Nah, take your jabs. Couldn't hurt anymore than it did last night. We made it to the last dance, a lot more than 62 other teams can say.

 

You left the door open, I had to walk through it ;-) I don't know a thing about the game other than some alleged bad calls.

 

Oh great. Political strategy is entering craft beer at the lowest level. Where's the exit?

 

Actually, it's Johnson and West given where I live. Glad to hear Huffines is supporting getting rid of it, same with Sheets. Unfortunately, they're not in my district.

 

I would've too, well played.

 

You know what I find pathetic? She gets a lot of calls/emails against her bill. Her response? Try to screw over what everyone is calling and complaining about.

Instead of actually listening to what the people who care about these things want, she listens to where her money is from.

She is an elected official. How does that seem elected to anyone? She isn't serving the people. She is serving her own self interest based on her money.

That is what is wrong with politics.

And I am done with politically related posts now.