Alabama Homebrew Legalization

[onemanlan]

I hate to say it and get political. These problems are from the people in congress who are stripping us from our rights. All of the people who are trying to strip us of our right slowly.

The same people who want to totally abolish hand guns all together. The same people who put raise taxes on cigars just because they say "they are unhealthy for you and the environment" so they tax them. The same people who are taxing tanning salons all over the united states...(I don't use tanning salong my GF does)

These republicans you speak of that want home brewing illegal are nothing but fakes. I have the right to do whatever I want with my money. I am not selling it I am making it for my own consumption. Believe me they will find something about homebrewing that is too "dangerous" or "unhealthy" for us. Just like how they somehow banned salt used in cooking in New York city restraunts. These people want control over us... All I say is if you don't like it. Get them voted OUT.

Umm we live in state that is in support of everything you talk about. You're disillusioned to think the homebrew legal situation would change if your points were carried out or not. You're obviously not observing politics on a level beyond the tea party. Please read a textbook about government and politics kthx. The situation has so many more variables involved than you bring to the table with your argument. The world isn't black and white. Us vs Them. Think of it more like a spider graph with shades of grey throughout.

That being said in AL we don't have much of a chance of getting it legalized soon. All republican candidates here will fall in line with their party and because no democrate stands a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected. That situation will likely stalemate itself for a while. I think you're better off trying to conceal your hobby to outside observers and join a brew club.

 

[DocBrown]

For what it's worth, the sponsors for the homebrew bill in both the House and the Senate this past year were both Republicans. I know that the general impression is that the Republican party is much more monolithic than the Democratic party, but consider the Republican candidates for President back in 2008. You had the authoritarian religious wing represented in Huckabee, the libertarian end represented by Ron Paul, the warhawk neo-conservatives with Rudy Giuliani, and the fiscal conservatives in Mitt Romney. It's a pretty broad coalition of groups that apply "less government" in very different ways. About the only thing they all agree on is lower taxes, but even then the different groups have different motivations and mean different things by that.

Alabama Republicans are just as mixed as the rest of the country, though the Huckabee types are a bit stronger here. That said, our House sponsor said he has personally talked to Bentley about the homebrewing bill and that Bentley is supportive. Bentley's campaign said the opposite, but it's possible that once the issues were clearly outlined to him, he was more willing to bend on that point but that he hasn't talked to his campaign staff about it (and there's no reason he should have since they probably aren't anticipating homebrewing to be a major campaign issue). Also, since our sponsor is supporting Bentley, if Bentley is elected, he may be less inclined to veto the bill when it's all said and done. We'll see.

 

[v2comp]

you are correct sir, we WILL see!

 

[onemanlan]

Ding ding ding! DocBrown thanks for telling it like it is!

 

[brewagentjay]

Thanks for showing how parties do not work Doc. The problem is parties. Hard to get anything done if a party much less both parties have to agree on it. After I read up on Dr. Bentley I was scared, hopefully hthat right wing religious side just over stated his views and he is a bit more in the middle on issues, incase he does win. Normally I go with republicans on issues but wow, some of his views like, teacher lead prayer, scare me.

 

[brewagentjay]

Anyone got any word or story links to the man who was arrested in blount county recently for brewing? I heard he was arrested and they took his stuff.

 

[v2comp]

Anyone got any word or story links to the man who was arrested in blount county recently for brewing? I heard he was arrested and they took his stuff.

he hasnt posted anything today as far as I know, but yesterday his story was that he hadnt been arrested yet and a lawyer was contacted.
I dont know what really happened, but he said that a neighbor said several high end pickup trucks and sherrifs deputy vehicle were hauling off several loads of equipment from his house. he was NOT at home at the time of the raid and hadnt been charged with anything as of sunday night.
thats about all I know, which is the same thing everyone else knows as far as I can tell.

 

[brewagentjay]

He needs some press. I see no mention of raid or anything online....yet seems every single arrest story makes a paper or link somewhere.

Entire thing is crazy. What right does blount county sheriff office have to raid his home? Seems like ABC officers would need to be involved here.

 

[Grimster]

What brought him to the attention of law enforcement anyway? Any further info on this?

 

[v2comp]

thats the problem with this whole story, we dont know anymore than I just told everyone, and the ABC may have been involved, we just dont know yet. and NO, we dont need the press!
we really need to wait and see what he says in the next couple of days to clarify.

 

[brewagentjay]

Grimster, I'm not sure I heard about it thru carboy junkies group I belong too. Wondering if I can get more information?

The strange part is the Sheriff Department. I wasn't aware they could inforce with out ABC involvement. So that being said Blount County is Dry. Might have some werid local laws on books.

 

[brewagentjay]

thats the problem with this whole story, we dont know anymore than I just told everyone, and the ABC may have been involved, we just dont know yet. and NO, we dont need the press!
we really need to wait and see what he says in the next couple of days to clarify.

I agree that we need clarification but seems like press on a ridiculous issue would help his and our cause.

 

[v2comp]

I agree that we need clarification but seems like press on a ridiculous issue would help his and our cause.

not if he was doing something else illegal that caused it to happen instead of just being "set up" like he has alluded too.
the problem is we dont yet know the circumstances and I dont think we should promote anything until we know the specifics.
as far as the ABC, I am sure they were in the big blue trucks that were hauling off his stuff. I have several friends in my local sherrifs dept that have said repeatedly that they have NEVER acted on an alcohol manufacturer warrant without the ABC's involvement and they did, in fact not know of any county agency that had in the whole state.
I think we should wait till the guy clarifys what actually happened instead of speculatimg and jumping the gun on this thing, it may well have been his fault for getting singled out.

 

[Grimster]

not if he was doing something else illegal that caused it to happen instead of just being "set up" like he has alluded too.

I don't know how well you know the fella but I'm gonna be surprised if the homebrew is the root cause of any warrants, but we may never actually know.

 

[v2comp]

I don't know how well you know the fella but I'm gonna be surprised if the homebrew is the root cause of any warrants, but we may never actually know.

I dont know the guy at all, that was my point,
I would be surprised as well if JUST homebrewing was the root cause of this, I also agree that we may never know what happened.

 

[brewagentjay]

Alright agreed we need more information.....anyone got any?

 

[Starderup]

I can only say that any state with alcohol laws that are more whacky than Georgia have a big problem, and so far, that only includes Alabama and Pennsylvania.

 

[jacob1484]

i'm going to speculate that a neighbor saw a wort chiller or something and called in a tip on a potential meth lab. that would explain the county LE involvement.

 

[Grimster]

i'm going to speculate that a neighbor saw a wort chiller or something and called in a tip on a potential meth lab. that would explain the county LE involvement.

They're probably looking at all the carboys, air locks, bottling buckets and wands, scratching their heads going "Hey Bubba, how the hell is this **** used to make meth?" "Dunno man but what else COULD it be used for?"

 

[jacob1484]

They're probably looking at all the carboys, air locks, bottling buckets and wands, scratching their heads going "Hey Bubba, how the hell is this **** used to make meth?" "Dunno man but what else COULD it be used for?"

That is almost exactly what I had in mind... except the Bubba part, I was thinking Cleetus.

 

[Grimster]

They're probably looking at all the carboys, air locks, bottling buckets and wands, scratching their heads going "Hey Bubba, how the hell is this **** used to make meth?" "Dunno man but what else COULD it be used for?"

I should mention to any LEO's here, I don't hate cops, my best friend is about to become a detective (first for his city) and I sometimes hang out with him at work and buy the guys dinner or something. I am not a cop hating hippie.

 

[jacob1484]

I should mention to any LEO's here, I don't hate cops, my best friend is about to become a detective (first for his city) and I sometimes hang out with him at work and buy the guys dinner or something. I am not a cop hating hippie.

aye, I hadn't thought of that but I should probably also point out that I have nothing against cops, just idiots.

so... please don't pull me over and ticket me for a "broken tail light" :fro:

 

[Starderup]

They're probably looking at all the carboys, air locks, bottling buckets and wands, scratching their heads going "Hey Bubba, how the hell is this **** used to make meth?" "Dunno man but what else COULD it be used for?"

So I can use my beer equipment to make meth, too?? Bonus!!!!

Edit: I am joking!

 

[v2comp]

still no word on any of the forums im on, that doesnt mean he hasnt responded somewhere, just not where I originally saw it posted.

 

[v2comp]

Deleted comments in order for the guy to explain it himself!

 

[Grimster]

Deleted comments in order for the guy to explain it himself!

Did someone start a new post? I don't see any explanations

 

[v2comp]

Did someone start a new post? I don't see any explanations

no, but weve been trying to get him to at least acknowledge that he wasnt distilling. the lack of comment from him saying anything but, "I would hope that everyone knows to take media with a grain of salt." after the Blount citizen ran their story makes it hard to stomach. until he makes an effort to clear this up, the group of us here trying to get the Homebrewing laws changed arent going forward in support.
I really hope, for his sake that this doesnt turn out to be another really good guy that gets caught doing something other than homebrewing.

 

[Grimster]

no, but weve been trying to get him to at least acknowledge that he wasnt distilling. the lack of comment from him saying anything but, "I would hope that everyone knows to take media with a grain of salt." after the Blount citizen ran their story makes it hard to stomach. until he makes an effort to clear this up, the group of us here trying to get the Homebrewing laws changed arent going forward in support.
I really hope, for his sake that this doesnt turn out to be another really good guy that gets caught doing something other than homebrewing.

Can anyone find a case anywhere of someone in Alabama getting popped for JUST homebrewing as in homebrew is what got the LEO attention to begin with and homebrewing was the only "crime" they committed? Just curious really.

 

[brewagentjay]

I still support the guy still or not because I don't agree with that federal law either. It's a law created by Halmiton in order create a tax to help pay for the federal gov and there were a lot of heavy drinkers back then so it fit.

Now if he was selling either product, I'd have an issue.

 

[Grimster]

I still support the guy still or not because I don't agree with that federal law either. It's a law created by Halmiton in order create a tax to help pay for the federal gov and there were a lot of heavy drinkers back then so it fit.

Now if he was selling either product, I'd have an issue.

Yeah making anything for personal use, whether's a little toke, a little smoke, a little drink, or some shots of something stronger, shouldn't be illegal, selling it of course amounts to tax evasion regardless of the law.