Alabama Homebrew Legislation 2013

[alestateyall]

Isn't making Wine in Mississippi legal at least already?

Yes. Home made wine is legal in Mississippi. Even in dry counties. Our homebrew bill, if passed, will only allow homemade beer in wet counties.

 

[MagooBrew]

Any idea when this is going to move to the next step. Last I read on AHA website was that it was moving along quickly. Any insight?

 

[Accidic]

Withholding abrasive cynicism... withholding abrasive cynicism... withholding abrasive cynicism...

 

[Huff360]

My apologies guys - I mistakenly said the House committee hearing was yesterday. It is actually today. I'm about to head that way, will give a report when it is over. We expect favorable passage.

ALSO - we just found out that SB171 will have a public hearing tomorrow before the JC&ED Committee. That means it is time to start letting these guys hear our support!

PLEASE CONTACT THESE SENATORS TODAY - calls, e-mails, faxes it doesn't matter! Just let them hear your voice!

Paul Sanford - [email protected] - (334) 242-7867
Slade Blackwell - [email protected] - (334) 242-7851
Scott Beason - 334-242-7794
Linda Coleman - [email protected] - (334) 242-7864
Jerry Fielding - [email protected] - (334) 242-7898
Tammy Irons - [email protected] - (334) 242-7888
Greg Reed - [email protected] - (334) 242-7894
Clay Scofield - [email protected] - (334) 242-7876

Remember - please be in the state, sign with your name and hometown, and be polite.

You can also look up your Senator here - http://www.legislature.state.al.us/senate/senate.html - on the left side of the page and contact them. Ask them to pass their support for the bill along to Senator Sanford (he is the chairperson of the committee).

We have not worked on the Senate in several years, so they are not as familiar with our support for this bill.

 

[homebrewdad]

Thanks, Huff! Writing some senators, now.

 

[homebrewdad]

My apologies guys - I mistakenly said the House committee hearing was yesterday. It is actually today. I'm about to head that way, will give a report when it is over. We expect favorable passage.

ALSO - we just found out that SB171 will have a public hearing tomorrow before the JC&ED Committee. That means it is time to start letting these guys hear our support!

PLEASE CONTACT THESE SENATORS TODAY - calls, e-mails, faxes it doesn't matter! Just let them hear your voice!

Paul Sanford - [email protected] - (334) 242-7867
Slade Blackwell - [email protected] - (334) 242-7851
Scott Beason - 334-242-7794
Linda Coleman - [email protected] - (334) 242-7864
Jerry Fielding - [email protected] - (334) 242-7898
Tammy Irons - [email protected] - (334) 242-7888
Greg Reed - [email protected] - (334) 242-7894
Clay Scofield - [email protected] - (334) 242-7876

Remember - please be in the state, sign with your name and hometown, and be polite.

You can also look up your Senator here - http://www.legislature.state.al.us/senate/senate.html - on the left side of the page and contact them. Ask them to pass their support for the bill along to Senator Sanford (he is the chairperson of the committee).

We have not worked on the Senate in several years, so they are not as familiar with our support for this bill.

I also pretty much quoted this word for word in a post at reddit's homebrewing sub (and credited you for it). I figure it can't hurt to potentially tap another group that might make a few contacts.

 

[Huff360]

GREAT News guys - HB9 passes committee with flying colors. Next stop - House floor for a full vote!

Thanks to Jason, Dan, Bill, and Joe for presenting our case. All 4 speakers did a great job. Mac (our House Sponsor) hit a home run with his speech. The Committee had some great questions, all of which were answered very well.

Our Senate Sponsor, Bill Holtzclaw, showed his support by attending. Many thanks to him and the work he is doing for us.

We hope tomorrow goes just as well as today did!!

 

[homebrewdad]

GREAT News guys - HB9 passes committee with flying colors. Next stop - House floor for a full vote!

Thanks to Jason, Dan, Bill, and Joe for presenting our case. All 4 speakers did a great job. Mac (our House Sponsor) hit a home run with his speech. The Committee had some great questions, all of which were answered very well.

Our Senate Sponsor, Bill Holtzclaw, showed his support by attending. Many thanks to him and the work he is doing for us.

We hope tomorrow goes just as well as today did!!

Outfreakingstanding!

 

[Echoloc8]

GREAT News guys - HB9 passes committee with flying colors. Next stop - House floor for a full vote!

Beautiful! Here's hoping I can brew a "Prohibition's End" Pale Ale this year! Got a recipe in mind...

-Rich

 

[biohaz7331]

Great news indeed then people can publicly share and talk about brewing!

 

[CGVT]

Great news indeed then people can publicly share and talk about brewing!

Not yet. There is still a long way to go.

 

[Bryali]

GREAT News guys - HB9 passes committee with flying colors. Next stop - House floor for a full vote!

Thanks to Jason, Dan, Bill, and Joe for presenting our case. All 4 speakers did a great job. Mac (our House Sponsor) hit a home run with his speech. The Committee had some great questions, all of which were answered very well.

Our Senate Sponsor, Bill Holtzclaw, showed his support by attending. Many thanks to him and the work he is doing for us.

We hope tomorrow goes just as well as today did!!

Fantastic!! 1 step closer!!

 

[aubiecat]

Is it on the special order today? I checked the website but SO isn't up yet.

 

[Huff360]

Is it on the special order today? I checked the website but SO isn't up yet.

Not that I am aware of. ALISON does look pretty out of date on some stuff.

I will do my best to give a heads up and a link to floor audio when we are scheduled. It is usually interesting/infuriating to listen to the debate.

 

[aubiecat]

Last year I listened to the audio of the legislature on the days when the last bill was on the special order. It was completely maddening!
To save what little bit of sanity I have left I have decided I won't listen to the debate this year. I just want to know if it passed.

 

[homebrewdad]

Last year I listened to the audio of the legislature on the days when the last bill was on the special order. It was completely maddening!
To save what little bit of sanity I have left I have decided I won't listen to the debate this year. I just want to know if it passed.

I know how you feel. I hate how we because a laughingstock over the stupidity that goes on in the legislature, but I also feel drawn to it (much like it's hard to look away from an overturned 18 wheeler).

 

[CGVT]

Good write up and a good response to the "what about the chirrens?" question that seems to be a mainstay of the opposition's argument.



House committee approves bill that would legalize home brewing of beer
By Mike Cason | [email protected]
on February 20, 2013 at 5:35 PM, updated February 20, 2013 at 9:31 PM Print



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Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Huntsville. (Robin Conn/The Huntsville Times)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- The House Economic Development and Tourism Committee today approved a bill that would allow those 21 and older to make home brewed beer, wine, mead and cider for personal use.

The bill, by Rep. Mac McCutcheon, R-Huntsville, would limit the total production to 15 gallons every three months.

The committee approved the bill after a public hearing, putting it in position for consideration by the House of Representatives.

Several home brewing enthusiasts spoke in favor of the bill.

Jason Sledd of Huntsville told the committee he took up home brewing as a hobby last year.

“At the time, I had no idea what I was doing was illegal in the state of Alabama,” Sledd said.

Sledd said he learned home brewing was illegal after joining a home brewers club.

Rep. Berry Forte, D-Eufaula, said he was opposed to the use of alcohol because of what it had done to some family members. He asked Sledd whether he brewed beer in front of his children.

Sledd said he did, and said he was teaching them the responsible way to use alcohol.

“They will have years of experience of seeing an adult drink alcohol and not being intoxicated,” Sledd said.

Joe Godfrey, executive director of ALCAP, a nonprofit lobbying organization backed by churches, and Dan Ireland, executive director emeritus of ALCAP, spoke in opposition to the bill.

Godfrey said ALCAP opposed all efforts to liberalize alcohol policies. He said Alabama ranks low among states in alcohol sales and alcohol consumption.

“I think that’s a good thing to brag on, the fact that we consume low amounts here in Alabama,” Godfrey said. “We don’t want to be like everybody else.”

Ireland quoted scripture from the Book of Romans that counsels “not to put a stumbling block” in the way of others.

“You’re going to be setting a tone, not only in your home, but in your area, that’s going to entice others to drink,” Ireland said.

McCutcheon, the bill’s sponsor, said he understood the negative effects of alcohol abuse, but said that home brewing is not about promoting intoxication. He noted the biblical account of Jesus turning water into wine.

“Drunkenness is a sin,” McCutcheon said. “Drunkenness is a result not of alcohol, but of the abuse of alcohol.”

He said those who abuse alcohol can already do so with commercial beers.

“This is not the issue here,” McCutcheon said. “This is about the rights of an individual to have the freedom to have a hobby that they enjoy.”

Joe Defee told the committee he has had a successful career in the computer science field and began home brewing when he worked in Washington, D.C. He said the appeal of home brewing for him was similar to the appeal of his other hobby, making acoustic guitars and mandolins. He said he wanted to master the craft.

“I’m really doing this hobby because I’m striving to create a product,” Defee said.

The bill would not legalize home brewing in dry counties and cities. Those convicted of a felony would be banned from home brewing.

 

[Huff360]

SB171 is reported favorably from committee in a 5-1 vote!

Thanks to Mike, Joe, and Danner for representing our side of the case, as well as a huge thank you to Sen. Holtzclaw for bringing the bill forth!!




Mississippi, you'd better watch out!

 

[CGVT]

Nice. Who was the nay?

 

[Huff360]

Rep. Berry Forte, D-Eufaula, said he was opposed to the use of alcohol because of what it had done to some family members. He asked Sledd whether he brewed beer in front of his children.

Sledd said he did, and said he was teaching them the responsible way to use alcohol.

“They will have years of experience of seeing an adult drink alcohol and not being intoxicated,” Sledd said.

Rep. Forte also brought out later that his Grandmother always kept a "jar of moonshine" at the house while he was growing up.

Mac thanked Rep. Forte for proving his point for him. He pointed out that he hoped that the all the children that are currently growing up in the homes of these homebrewers could turn out as well as Rep. Forte has, and be such upstanding and respected members of the community!

It was a not just a home run, it was a grand slam!

Rep. Forte responded that "times are different now" and really had no other rebuttal.

 

[Huff360]

Nice. Who was the nay?

Not sure yet. Once the roll is posted for yesterday and today, I will pass along.

 

[homebrewdad]

Rep. Forte also brought out later that his Grandmother always kept a "jar of moonshine" at the house while he was growing up.

Mac thanked Rep. Forte for proving his point for him. He pointed out that he hoped that the all the children that are currently growing up in the homes of these homebrewers could turn out as well as Rep. Forte has, and be such upstanding and respected members of the community!

It was a not just a home run, it was a grand slam!

Rep. Forte responded that "times are different now" and really had no other rebuttal.

Epic.

 

[dford]

Excellent news !!!

 

[KBentley57]

Sounds great to me too. I hate to hope for anything, but I'm hoping!

 

[Homercidal]

So it looks like Mississippi will be the biggest loser soon.

 

[CGVT]

It looks as if Mississippi is on about the same track

MISSISSIPPI: Homebrew Bill Passed By Senate
February 7, 2013
SB 2183, a bill that would legalize homebrewing in the state of Mississippi, passed the full Senate and is now moving on to the House. If the house passes, the bill will go to the Governor to sign.

 

[Huff360]

Yeah, they were moving ahead quickly too.

Their house bill is done, it is not up to the senate bill which is pending assignment to a house committee.

Big difference is their bill would not take effect till July 1 2013. Ours doesn't have that stipulation, so as soon as Bently signs it, it's in place. We have a chance at beating them!

Not that it matters... just saying though, we have a chance!


Our HB received it's reading in the chamber shortly ago. It is now available for placement on the Special Order Calendar.

Our SB will hopefully get it's reading today too, then we will be set on go for placement on the SOC there as well.

Mac is the Chair of the House Rules Committee, and that means everyone wants him to like them. That, hopefully, means they will all support getting his bill on the SOC right away.

 

[Aboo]

I would like to know why your glasses/posters were not made available for sale online? If nothing else, this would have generated more money that could be put to good use by you in creating public awareness.

Politics is money, and money == votes.

And whatever happened to the separation of church and state? lol Using religion in a public rights/political argument is like using curse words to insult someone. You're just to ignorant to use logic and reasoned thinking.

There are many different ways to argue the detriments of alcohol abuse and the benefits of the brewing hobby. Religion should not be one of them.

 

[CGVT]

I would like to know why your glasses/posters were not made available for sale online? If nothing else, this would have generated more money that could be put to good use by you in creating public awareness.

Politics is money, and money == votes.

And whatever happened to the separation of church and state? lol Using religion in a public rights/political argument is like using curse words to insult someone. You're just to ignorant to use logic and reasoned thinking.

There are many different ways to argue the detriments of alcohol abuse and the benefits of the brewing hobby. Religion should not be one of them.

You don't live in the Bible Belt, do you?

 

[day_trippr]

You don't live in the Bible Belt, do you?

LOL! I was thinking the same thing...

Cheers!