Homebrew bill passes Oklahoma State House

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prrriiide

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Get a license...riiiiight. All this is, is another way to get money from someone who just wants to drink a decent beer. You can't buy decent beer cold in Oklahoma, just that mega-brewery goat piss. Anything over 3.2% has to be sold warm in a likker store (the repealing of which has been fought brutally by the liquor store lobby - never gets out of committee). Anyone want to take a stab at the over/under on the cost of that license?

Tulsa World

Beer brewing bill passes Oklahoma House

By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Published: 3/3/2010 10:49 AM
Last Modified: 3/3/2010 10:49 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahomans would be able to annually brew up to 200 gallons of beer for personal use under a measure passed Wednesday morning by the state House of Representatives.

Home brewers would have to obtain a state license similar to one already issued to home wineries under House Bill 2348 by Rep. Colby Schwartz, R-Yukon. The beer could only be used for personal consumption and could not be sold.

The bill passed 76-19 and proceeds to the Senate.

By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Click to expand...
 
As I'm moving one state down into Oklahoma in a year or two I'm watching this. I'm half suspecting this license thing may be a worm in the brew kettle for some. I'd wager many people brew in their driveways without a second thought Now if this passes, nosy neighbors and overzealous local yokel law enforcement could use this license thing to be a PITA.
 
government is too much government. where does it end? And for the neighbors they need to stick their noses up their own arse.
and that is all I have to say about that...
 
I grew up in the OKC metro, and this is true:

If you are under age 21 and are caught with possession of a 3.2% beer, you will be charged with "under-age possession of a non-intoxicating beverage." That's really stupid, because I got QUITE intoxicated from those "non-intoxicating beverages" on a regular basis.

I know. I got dinged quite a few times for UPNIB when I was in college.

Oklahoma has some of the most fudged-up, puritanical alcohol laws I have ever seen.

johnnyo...It isn't as much big govenment as it is big religion. Big religion controls the politics in Oklahoma more than most other states.

Baldy...where ya movin' to?
 
Thats pretty much BS. Its one thing to require a fishing license or a hunting license because the money goes to MAINTAINING those recreations for public land/water usage. There is no maintenance or upkeep that the Govt needs to recoup lost funds when it comes to homebrew. It doesnt matter what the Lovibond is, the only color that matters is green.
-Jefe-
 
I read on High Gravity's FB page that the license would be free and apparently the Okie big brothers just wants to know who is brewing.

And prrriide, we'll be moving to Bartlesville or Tulsa or thereabouts.
 
Baldy_Beer_Brewery said:
I read on High Gravity's FB page that the license would be free and apparently the Okie big brothers just wants to know who is brewing.

And prrriide, we'll be moving to Bartlesville or Tulsa or thereabouts.
Click to expand...

The license will start out as free. Sooner or later, there will be a cost added to it.

If I lived in OK, and this thing passed. I would get a license in the names of all the pastors in the town I lived in, as well as all the politicians.
 
There is already licensure in place here for Wine and cider. It is free and takes 3 weeks to obtain from teh ABLE comission.

Fact is, revenues are down and this is an oportunity to acquire revenues.

If the fee is 5 or 10 dollars per annum I will pay it for the peace of mind. If it's the speculated $100 per annum, they can kiss my ass just like they have the last 3 years.

The only real advantage to this bill is that it will protect homebrew transport and releive the stigma from public functions centered on homebrew.

Hey, OP, isn't HB still illeagal in TN?
 
Baldy_Beer_Brewery said:
And prrriide, we'll be moving to Bartlesville or Tulsa or thereabouts.
Click to expand...

I hear B-ville has come down substantially since Conoco-Phillips pulled up stakes and moved to Houston. Owasso is nice. And Broken Arrow. Of course there's always Jenks. You could always get some lakefront property up around Oologah. Nice area.

Gila - where are you at in OKC? I grew up in Bethany.

If the license is going to be free, that's one thing. But I know OK politics enough to know window dressing when I see it. First chance they get to quietly raise the fee without much public notice or input, they will. Knowing Oklahoma, by the time it's all said and done you will have a license fee along with excise taxes on malt, hops, and equipment. If there's one thing Oklahoma politicians do well, it's disguise how much you are actually paying the government without calling it taxes.

We have a very lively HB scene here in E TN. Even a really good HB store with a knowledgeable proprieter.
 
prrriiide said:
I hear B-ville has come down substantially since Conoco-Phillips pulled up stakes and moved to Houston. Owasso is nice. And Broken Arrow. Of course there's always Jenks. You could always get some lakefront property up around Oologah. Nice area.

Gila - where are you at in OKC? I grew up in Bethany.

If the license is going to be free, that's one thing. But I know OK politics enough to know window dressing when I see it. First chance they get to quietly raise the fee without much public notice or input, they will. Knowing Oklahoma, by the time it's all said and done you will have a license fee along with excise taxes on malt, hops, and equipment. If there's one thing Oklahoma politicians do well, it's disguise how much you are actually paying the government without calling it taxes.

We have a very lively HB scene here in E TN. Even a really good HB store with a knowledgeable proprieter.
Click to expand...

Off Memorial near Edmond.

Yeah. Well, I was illeagal before it was legal so bless em and their fees.
 
As St Augustine said, 'an unjust law is no law at all'. Suppose I'm a bit of a walking conundrum with this one. I live in MS on of the 'no homebrew allowed' states where I homebrew. I'm also a minister so according to some I'm part of the problem!

The problem in MS has been the chairman of the ways & means commit. wouldn't let any alcohol related bills through commit. this year. He rolls off of chairmanship this coming year, ALLEGEDLY. So hopefully next year holds a little promise. Make no doubt about it though, just like raising the abv cap, MS will be last in legalizing homebrewing as well. Oddly enough winemaking is legal.

Schlante,
Phillip
 
At least you guys are ahead of Alabama in that way. IIRC, it is technically illegal to make bread in Alabama because of the wording of the law. I'm pretty sure that means wine is out too.
 
yes this is B.S! just like you guys say license will start out for free so they can get your address and rest of the info about you. than they will slap a nice price tag on it, if you not going to get it they will know about it from there records and will bust you for not having one, because they got your address already!!!!!!
its same thing with a fishing license in CT. i payed 35$ for a fresh water ok i understand they need money for maintaining lakes and parks.
this year i PAYED 10$ for a solt water lisence, WTF i bet you next year it will be 20$ just because they think that they can get away with it!
 
C'mon guys. You spend what? A couple hundred (if not thousand for some people here) dollars / year on homebrewing? You can't affort to buy a now free license (which could become something like 50-100$ later)? In fact, you have to realize the progress that has been made. From illegal to legal if you take the free license... or a 35-100$ license in some years... Some progress has been made!

I think I would personaly make that effort -- to keep my peace of mind. Then again, I'm not in Oklahoma.
 
Yes. I fully acknowledge the progress that has been made.

My issue is that for years, decades maybe, a free license has been available to those home vinters and cider makers without cause for monetary gain. And now, amidst recession, that beer is to be included the political agenda is proposing a $100 annual fee. $100 is fine if there is a 3 or 5 year term. I am okay withw even $10 a year. But $100? C'mon.

The organisation I work for in government provides permit services. A minimum fee permit involves data entry, plan processing, and multiple physical inspections. For $50 dollars a MINIMUM of 7 employees are involved noit including the overhead of vehicles and equipment.

For this permit only 1 or 2 persons is involved to key data, print permit, and stuff an envelope. All of which can be done without ever leaving ones desk. $100 is rediculous. $10 is reasonable but, not historically fair. Beer should have never been omitted in the first place given beers historical signifigance with respect to homebrewing.
 
mightynintendo said:
If I lived in OK, there's no way in hell I would get a license from the state, free or not, to do what I do in the privacy of my own home.
Click to expand...

Good point. Prior to this new legislation the vinters and cidermakers license was only required for those desiring entering State Fair competitions as more of a registration than anything.

This legislation reads as if all home producers must register to be counted. Period.

again, I like the freedoms it liberates but not the controls.
 
Being ahead of AL in this discussion is like being the tallest midget (i apologize in advance if there are any dwarf homebrewers out there that I may have just offended). I have not been brewing as long as most of you, am not from OK originally but reside here now, and all of my brewing has been done in OK - and I WILL NOT pay to do what I have been doing for free for the past 2.5 years.

For me, it is beyond the $5, $50, or $100 they want to or will ultimately end up charging us, it is about principle. Every state that borders us has "normal" alcohol laws (not restricting you at 3.2% abv, not restricting brew pubs to serve no higher than 3.2% beer that they create, not able to get cold beer in liquor stores - which limits some of the better breweries in this fine country from distributing here, excessive taxes on breweries looking to open shop, etc etc etc) and their world's have not come crashing down on them. What is OK so afraid of? I get it, it's the "Bible Belt" but last time I checked it's 2010 and we have far worse problems in this country and state than a beer that is 8% abv being served cold from a liquor store, or me creating my own beer at my house for my personal consumption. If "their" fear is that I am going to go into a liquor store and buy a 12% abv beer and chug it in the parking lot: 1)why wouldnt I just do it with the $6 bottle of Kentucky Deluxe? 2) Just do it with a warm beer, bc If I have that bad of a problem, warm or cold probably isnt going to matter much. Our country's political corruption is to blame here in the end. Liquor laws arent going to change because distributors dont want them to and they have the deepest pockets that they then turn and line our politicians'.

We are getting a Whole Foods here in OKC (finally) but dont expect there to be the traditional wine tastings or HUGE selection of craft beers like the Whole Foods in our bordering states because we are apparently too afraid of what might happen if we serve citizens of this state beer above a certain abv, or give people the option to buy a bottle of wine in the grocery store as they're buying the ingredients to make an italian dinner.

Sorry for the rant, I just am so frustrated with living in such a backwards state that excessively charges people to enjoy the same luxuries of our neighbors. And please, dont just tell me to move bc we all know people are tied to places for work, family, etc - moving isnt going to solve the problem in OK, it is simply an easy answer to ignore what everyone wants to just sweep under the rug.

Whoa, what the hell just happened...I think I just had a rage blackout.
 
Oh, and passing the homebrew bill is a step forward, but making us have a license to do so is 2 steps back IMHO. Let's take the training wheels off and see what happens folks - the people of Texas are still alive and well.
 
Honestly, I am not worked up - this is isnt the first day I woke up and realized how backwards this state is. I have lived here since 02. It is life at this point - but can you honestly tell me why I would need a license to do what I do or have been doing every weekend?

Let me put it this way: Do you have a permit to cook dinner?
 
Do a petition drive and get a measure on the ballot that legalizes home brewing(beer, Wine) and distilling. Prohibit licensure of brewers that brew 200 gallons or less. Then let the voters decide.
 
Erythro73 said:
C'mon guys. You spend what? A couple hundred (if not thousand for some people here) dollars / year on homebrewing? You can't affort to buy a now free license (which could become something like 50-100$ later)? In fact, you have to realize the progress that has been made. From illegal to legal if you take the free license... or a 35-100$ license in some years... Some progress has been made!

I think I would personaly make that effort -- to keep my peace of mind. Then again, I'm not in Oklahoma.
Click to expand...

Glad you brought it up, "Erythro,"....even if at the end of your post.

The rest of you Okies in this thread- you've been brewing illegally for X years, why on earth "turn yourself in" by getting a permit now? The only difference will be that you're tagging yourself for the inevitable when they hang whatever tax (which they will term a "fee") they deem "appropriate" on that license.

This is one of those instances where the old anarchists' axiom needs to be quoted:

"The natural end of all government is a state of affairs where everything not prohibited is compulsory, and everything not compulsory is prohibited."
 
MistyMountainHops said:
Being ahead of AL in this discussion is like being the tallest midget (i apologize in advance if there are any dwarf homebrewers out there that I may have just offended). I have not been brewing as long as most of you, am not from OK originally but reside here now, and all of my brewing has been done in OK - and I WILL NOT pay to do what I have been doing for free for the past 2.5 years.

For me, it is beyond the $5, $50, or $100 they want to or will ultimately end up charging us, it is about principle. Every state that borders us has "normal" alcohol laws (not restricting you at 3.2% abv, not restricting brew pubs to serve no higher than 3.2% beer that they create, not able to get cold beer in liquor stores - which limits some of the better breweries in this fine country from distributing here, excessive taxes on breweries looking to open shop, etc etc etc) and their world's have not come crashing down on them. What is OK so afraid of? I get it, it's the "Bible Belt" but last time I checked it's 2010 and we have far worse problems in this country and state than a beer that is 8% abv being served cold from a liquor store, or me creating my own beer at my house for my personal consumption. If "their" fear is that I am going to go into a liquor store and buy a 12% abv beer and chug it in the parking lot: 1)why wouldnt I just do it with the $6 bottle of Kentucky Deluxe? 2) Just do it with a warm beer, bc If I have that bad of a problem, warm or cold probably isnt going to matter much. Our country's political corruption is to blame here in the end. Liquor laws arent going to change because distributors dont want them to and they have the deepest pockets that they then turn and line our politicians'.

We are getting a Whole Foods here in OKC (finally) but dont expect there to be the traditional wine tastings or HUGE selection of craft beers like the Whole Foods in our bordering states because we are apparently too afraid of what might happen if we serve citizens of this state beer above a certain abv, or give people the option to buy a bottle of wine in the grocery store as they're buying the ingredients to make an italian dinner.

Sorry for the rant, I just am so frustrated with living in such a backwards state that excessively charges people to enjoy the same luxuries of our neighbors. And please, dont just tell me to move bc we all know people are tied to places for work, family, etc - moving isnt going to solve the problem in OK, it is simply an easy answer to ignore what everyone wants to just sweep under the rug.

Whoa, what the hell just happened...I think I just had a rage blackout.
Click to expand...

Sounds EXACTLY like Utah! Although they recently legalized homebrew.

Mormons make up 50% of the population but some how make up 95% of the state legislation. EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control board is Mormon and thereby doesnt drink, yet they are in charge of the liquor stores and laws around alcohol sales. Heck in my county you can even buy beer on Sunday. In fact on Sundays you cant even SEE beer. That's right they have to hang up tarps over the beer section in the grocery stores so you cant even see it. The mere site of beer on sunday will send ya to hell!

So yes OK might be bad, but it could be worse. You could live behind the Zion curtain.
 
This is "Big Brother" seeing the growing popularity of home brewing and realizing they are going to be missing out on a revenue stream. It might be free now, but it is a foot in the door.

"If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." Ronald Regan
 
Well, don't come to Colorado, you used to be able to go to public lands without a fee, now its 5$, min. If you get more than one hunting license it's 10$. Too many people here now anyways. Aaah, to be in the "good ol days" again. Great googaleemooogaleee!!!

Just trying to head off the inrush:D
 
Don't let that camel get its nose under the tent. First comes the "free" registration, then the "nominal fee" license, then the tax to pay for the inevitable regulation needed to protect the public from impure products.

Live Free or Die.
 
GilaMinumBeer said:
Our Governor said it best on an interview discussing legalization,

"Jesus didn't drink beer"

Uggg.
Click to expand...

Actually chances are overwhelming that Jesus did drink bier. If he did or not isn't really the issue. For hundreds of years Christians both Catholic & Protestant had no issue with alcohol, we know about the monks, etc. This is a modern revisionist religious approach. The bible aint so hard to figure out, drinking = ok drunk = not ok, any questions? Thankfully in MS, even though getting the bill out of committee is a problem, our Repub. Gov. Haley Barbour says he'll sign either the HB or raise the ABV bills into law. Haley's a rarity, uses a lot more common sense than most politicians.

Baldy_Beer_Brewery said:
Calm down man. the permit is free.
Click to expand...

It's well established that the cost or non-cost isn't the issue. The issue is that government seeks to control the citizenry more and more to the point that I no longer feel like a citizen. I'm a subject of the state.

maxamuus said:
So yes OK might be bad, but it could be worse. You could live behind the Zion curtain.
Click to expand...

Zion curtain, that's pretty good.

Schlante,
Phillip
 

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