Alabama Homebrew Legislation 2013

[aubiecat]

I must admit that I gave up listening yesterday because I thought we were done. What pleasant surprise when I opened my email this morning and the first thing I see is "It Passed!". My heart almost jumped out of my chest. That place , the legislature, is such a mystery. Glad I don't work there, I'd be in an asylum.

Now I gotta get that special ALCAP recipe ready to go.

 

[CGVT]

You could make a nasty astringent brew and call it Judgmental Pricks Pale Ale...

 

[aubiecat]

Maybe I could just call it "Alabama Reformation Ale."

 

[homebrewdad]

I could not believe it when I opened that email. After we were scrapped so late in the day in favor of the budget, I knew that we were done for this year. No debate? How is that even possible?

Also, I see that my own Senator, Gerald Allen - who opposes pretty much any alcohol bills, and was known to be anti-homebrewing - voted yes for the bill. I know that I emailed and called him quite a few times, perhaps enough others did, as well, to change his mind. Time to send a thank you message.

But not before I ask Bentley to sign the law.

 

[alestateyall]

Maybe I could just call it "Alabama Reformation Ale."

Send ALCAP a few bottles. I am certain they will drink it.

 

[LAHammer]

Very surprised this morning. Gave up last night and worked on my next batch. Got it into the fermenter at 10:00PM and was too tired to check again. Had a homebrew to celebrate my batch and didn't know I was also toasting our win.
I did email Rep. McCutcheon after the house vote and got a very nice response from him. The guys who worked for this do deserve our thanks. Even if they work in a zoo.

 

[homebrewdad]

I am happy to take all of the zings that Mississippi wants to send. 15 gallons is stupid, but (a) I seldom have more than that on hand, anyway, (b) who is going to come check how much I have?, and (c) if I get busted, it's a misdemeanor, not a felony.

Just sent the following to Governor Bentley:

Governor Bentley,

I am writing to ask you to please sign HB9, popularly know as the Alabama Homebrew Bill. As it stands today, we are the last state in the nation that still views brewing beer at home as a crime. As a matter of fact, Alabama is now one of the very last governments outside of those under Islamic Sharia law (such as Iran, Afghanistan, etc) that treats brewing beer as a crime.

Home brewing was legalized on the federal level back in the Carter administration. It is clearly long past time for Alabama to repeal this Prohibition Era law.

Home brewing is about a hobby, a craft - not about drunkenness. It is far quicker (and cheaper) to buy alcohol legally from a store than it is to brew at home. Instead, brewing is much like cooking a gourmet meal for yourself - you try to make the very best quality beer that you can, for the simple pleasure of the process... and, of course, to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

I applaud the Legislature for finally working in a bipartisan manner to legalize home brewing, and today, I respectfully ask you to please sign this bill into law.


Sincerely,

Olan Suddeth
Lake View, Alabama

 

[Accidic]

I think I saw someone in Japan saying it was illegal to brew over there although I'm not sure if it's a Beer/Sake distinction or not. Nevertheless, I'll be sure to send over my support to Governor Bentley.

 

[homebrewdad]

I think I saw someone in Japan saying it was illegal to brew over there although I'm not sure if it's a Beer/Sake distinction or not. Nevertheless, I'll be sure to send over my support to Governor Bentley.

Okay, I may have missed one. The point still stands.

 

[bobmcstuff]

I've been following this thread for a while, what a journey!

Congratulations.

 

[deflagratio]

My "Rebel Without a Cause" IPA is fermenting nicely.

 

[Echoloc8]

I believe there is a club that meets in Pelham actually on Wednesday nights. As soon as its officially legal that is.

First Wednesday night of every month.

So I hear.

-Rich

 

[Accidic]

No worries. Wasn't trying to destruct your argument.

That said, I wonder if the passage means Deep South Brew will be reopening in Montgomery. I know two LHBS is overkill but couldn't hurt. Plus the only homebrew club I knew of in this area met @ Deep South.

 

[jhoneycutt]

First Wednesday night of every month.

So I hear.

-Rich

To bad I work nights

 

[Echoloc8]

Man, I was all set to drown my sorrows about this last night, when my wife got a forwarded Facebook notification about the bill's passage while I was off in the loo.

We flipped that into toasts and celebration in a hurry!

-Rich

 

[Echoloc8]

Gonna brew up a new quick-turnaround Wit recipe this weekend.

The bill might not be signed yet, but here's hoping the batch will be close to ready by the time it is!

-Rich

 

[Huff360]

No worries. Wasn't trying to destruct your argument.

That said, I wonder if the passage means Deep South Brew will be reopening in Montgomery. I know two LHBS is overkill but couldn't hurt. Plus the only homebrew club I knew of in this area met @ Deep South.

They still meet over at Fairview Homebrew I believe. I'll PM you the contact info for CABS (Central Alabama Brewers Society). They send out notices whenever they are meeting.

 

[CGVT]

Does anyone know why Senator Holzclaw was absent when the bill went to vote? Did the opposition try to sneak it in when there were fewer supporters there?

 

[Huff360]

Okay guys, we have made it this far. Bentley does NOT have to sign the bill. He can wait and let the time lapse and it will automatically before law. We are outside the Pocket Veto timeframe, so we are safe from that.

BUT -

It is better if he signs it!

Call his office - 334-242-7100 The nice lady who answers knows what's going on. Tell her you support HB9 and want it signed. She will tally the totals.

Also - go to this page http://governor.alabama.gov/contact/contact_form.aspx and tell them you support it there as well!

Thanks CGVT for taking you my slack on getting the link over here sooner, and thanks to AleStateYall for bringing the news last night. I was streaming the audio on my phone and wasn't near the computer to post when it passed.

 

[CGVT]

Huff, did you have any idea that this was going to come up for vote last night?

 

[KurtB]

Congratulations on passing the bill! A lot of hard work was done behind the scenes (and out in plain view) to get this done. I will raise a toast to the 50th state this weekend...hopefully by then the Governor will have signed the bill.

 

[BarefootFriar]

Does anyone know why Senator Holzclaw was absent when the bill went to vote? Did the opposition try to sneak it in when there were fewer supporters there?

I listened to the recording this morning, and I thought I heard him say "Aye!" when his name was called on the second (final) vote. Then I heard the clerk say to the guy standing next to him, "Did Holtzclaw vote?" and the other guy mumbled a no. So I think he may have, but it didn't get recorded for some reason. Either that or I'm not keeping up well with who said what.

 

[KingRichard]

Huff, did you have any idea that this was going to come up for vote last night?

Nobody that I know of knew that was coming (including Huff). The "Right to Brew" folks that I know were listening into the Senate proceedings just in case, but everyone was surprised.

I was making an ice cream run for the wife and listening via iphone. I nearly ran off the road, was sure I had misunderstood what happened until I made it to Sonic and was able to check our club forum and facebook.

I'd love to find out what political maneuvering took place to make it happen.

ALCAP's update is priceless:

HB9 - Homebrew Bill - UPDATE

In a surprise move, last night (May 7), Senator Gerald Dial moved to bring up the Home Brew Bill (HB9) out of order on the floor of the Senate. After the vote was taken, the bill passed 18-7, with 1 abstaining and 9 not voting. We have attached the voting record for each Senator (click here). I encourage you to contact your Senator and thank him/her for voting NO or for not voting, and express your disappointment to those who voted YES. Those who are pastors might also want to let your congregation know how their Senator voted.

The bill now goes to the Governor's desk for his signature. I want to thank all of you who contacted your House Members earlier in the session and your Senators recently and asked them to oppose this bill.

 

[Huff360]

Huff, did you have any idea that this was going to come up for vote last night?

Richard's right. Holtzclaw did say he would be speaking about the Fariview/ABC incident "at some point tomorrow" on Tuesday, but that was all any of us knew.

I imagine that Mac had let them know there would be a lot of filibustering take place in the House (which would keep Senate bills from moving over there) should his bill not come up. If I had to guess....

 

[chicken]

Wow! Last night it looked like the bill was dead. Now I read it passed?! Congratulations!

 

[BarefootFriar]

"Those who are pastors might also want to let your congregation know how their Senator voted."

I might. But it won't come out the way ALCAP envisions!

 

[homebrewdad]

I have contacted the Governor. I have sent thank yous to many of the supporters (and personalized ones to Holzclaw, McCutcheon, Irons, and Allen [my senator who voted "yes" despite a history of anti-alcohol votes]). I've offered McCutcheon some homebrew if he's ever in the neighborhood.

Irons has already sent me a "You are most welcome! Glad we could pass it!".

I also sent this to my Representative, John Merrill:

Congressman Merrill,

Last night, the Senate passed HB9 (the Homebrewing Bill). Of course, you opposed the bill in the House, just as you have in every occasion since you first took office.

Despite the best efforts of the ALCAP faction and those who support them (such as yourself), Alabama finally joined the other 49 states in the Union - as well as most of the free world - in allowing the personal liberty for adults to brew beer in their own homes.

Did you know that - assuming Governor Bentley does not veto the bill - the only remaining goverments that actually deny home brewing will be Japan and the various Islamic Sharia-ruled countries?

I hope that you will think about that for a moment. I know that you claim opposition to home brewing based off of your Christian principles, yet the fact that you have no other reason for opposition puts you on equal moral ground (in this respect) to the Taliban.

This country was founded on personal liberty, Congressman. My own personal views are as conservative as they come... but to me, freedom of religion means that I cannot, in good conscience, dictate how others should behave based solely on my own religious beliefs. Free adults should be allowed to live their lives as they choose as long as they do not hurt others.

I hope that your heart is in the right place, Congressman, but I implore you to remember that your job, as the Representative of District 62, is to act as your disctrict's voice in Montgomery. To represent all of your contituents, not just those that share your same views of morality.

When the time comes to vote, I will vote for a candidate that votes on the merits of the issues themselves, as opposed to one who applies his own preconceived notions, no matter how noble the intent of those notions. Can you honestly say that you are the former?


Sincerely,
Olan Suddeth
Lake View, Alabama (your constituent)

 

[JeepDiver]

Does this also mean we may still be able to beat Mississippi? Lol just messin but seriously?

Well since Mississippi's law was signed by the Governor a month or two ago, nope yall are still behind the Great State of Mississippi, as usual. But Congrats on being the last state to get Home brewing approved.

 

[catdaddy66]

What is ALCAP?

 

[homebrewdad]

Incidentally, I note that several of the "yes" votes came from those as being considered to be anti-homebrewing.

Allen voted yes. He's pretty anti-alcohol.

Bussman voted yes. He's been considered anti-homebrewing for some time.

Orr voted yes, and has voted no on just about every piece of alcohol legislation he has seen.

Ditto Holley. N votes on everything for years.

Were they confused? Swayed by the deluge of contacts?