In light of the recent turmoil at TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission), why don't we eliminate it? The tax collection functions could be absorbed by the Comptroller's office. The law enforcement / harassment of bars, small brewers, and bartenders could be moved to local law enforcement, DPS, and / or the Texas Rangers. I have a hard time understanding why this agency, founded during prohibition, still needs to exist.
Because law enforcement agents have more important things to deal with other than illegal sale of alcohol.
Getting rid of them would not change the laws in the books and would not change the money being paid to reps to vote certain ways. All it changes is who enforces the laws. With that said, there needs to be some enforcement of the 3 tiers, it just seems that they're focused on fucking over craft beer and not on the actual common sense.
As someone not in the beer industry and merely a consumer, I'll guess the "3 tiers" are production, distribution, and sales? Is enforcement of laws for the 3 tiers of liquor so complicated that it needs a special agency? If our laws were rationalized, could regulation of liquor be made as simple as regulating potato chips (with the exception of not being able to sell liquor to minors)? De-regulating and promoting business seem like ideas our Republican legislators could embrace.
You're about 10 years too late on this conversation. It's been discussed over and over again. Getting rid of the tabc won't change the laws. Look up charitable contributions from big beer and distributers in Texas. You'll see that those are the people that vote to keep it that way. If you want to change something you vote for someone else. That being said the laws are infinitely better than they were 5-7 years ago. Back then I never dreamed to be able to walk into a store and buy Firestone Walker, founders, and Bell's.
