Office of the Assistant Minority Whip
State Representative Dan Ramos
I am writing you because, in the past, you have contacted my office and expressed your interest in legislation I have been working on in Ohio to raise the allowable ABV in beer from 12% to 21%.
As you may be aware, I first began work on this legislation during the 129th General Assembly. The legislation was introduced on October 26th, 2011 with eight legislators agreeing to cosponsor the legislation. Ultimately, H.B. 356 only had one hearing before the State Government and Elections Committee and failed to receive additional hearings or be put to a vote before the General Assembly dissolved on December 31st, 2012. Over the course of 2013, I have been working hard to broaden support for raising the ABV limit and spreading awareness among legislators of the growing support for this measure in our state by both businesses and consumers.
With all of that in mind, I am pleased to let you know that the legislation to raise the allowable ABV has been formally re-introduced and will soon be assigned to committee. Including myself, 21 total legislators – 12 Democrats and 9 Republicans – have signed on to support increasing the allowable ABV in beer in Ohio to 21%. Of course, the legislative process moves slowly and this will likely remain a work in process for some time to come, but it is very encouraging that this legislation attracted cosponsors from all political ideologies.
This increase in cosponsors, I believe, is evidence of our state’s growing awareness of the significant economic impact the beer industry has and recognition of the great products that so many breweries within our state are producing.
In the coming weeks, this legislation will be assigned a bill number and then to a committee for consideration. Before the bill can go to a vote on the House floor the committee will need to hold public hearings and take a vote on the proposed legislation. I will continue to write with any updates as they are available. In the meantime, I would encourage you to contact your State Representative on this issue and urge their support on this matter. If you do not know who your State Representative is you can find their name and office information by visiting the following link:
http://www.ohiohouse.gov/. The “Member Search” feature is located in the bottom left hand corner of the website.
Additionally, if you are a member of an industry organization or operate a business within the industry and would be willing to provide a letter establishing yourself as a proponent of this legislation please reach out to my legislative aide, John Tyler, by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (614) 466-5141. We will be providing a list of proponents to the committee chairperson once this legislation has been assigned to a committee for consideration.
For your convenience, I have included a copy of the press release that went out upon introduction below. Feel free to circulate it among your networks as you see fit. Thank you, again, for your continued interest in this issue. If you have questions or if I can be of service to you in any way please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Cheers,
Dan Ramos
State Representative
56th Ohio House District
Office:
614-466-5141
[email protected]
Office of the Assistant Minority Whip
State Representative Dan Ramos
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DEC. 17, 2013
Contact: John Tyler, Legislative Aide
(614) 466-5141
Rep. Ramos Introduces Bill to Expand Ohio’s Brewing Industry
Proposal would encourage business growth, create more choices for brewers, consumers
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) re-introduced legislation on Monday to help spur economic development in Ohio’s growing brewing industry by allowing brewers to produce and sell beer containing up to 21 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
“The brewing industry is one of the few sectors that continued to experience growth through the recession. It is time Ohio abandons unnecessary regulations that put us at a competitive disadvantage with other states and do whatever we can to encourage the further growth of these businesses,” said Rep. Ramos.
Craft brewers currently provide an estimated 108,000 jobs nationally and the industry has seen double digit growth over much of the last decade, with more breweries operating in 2012 than at any time since the 1880s.To target Ohio’s brewers for further economic development, the bill calls for a one year delay period to allow in-state businesses to create products in the 12-21 percent category in order to compete with out-of-state breweries that sell similar products.
“With other higher-proof options already available on Ohio’s store shelves, often at a cheaper cost to the consumer, this archaic government regulation just doesn’t make sense,” said Rep. Ramos. “It needlessly holds back Ohio brewers from having the freedom to experiment with new products, a restriction not faced by brewers in neighboring states.”
Nationally, fewer than 10 states limit the allowable ABV in beer and of Ohio’s neighboring states, only West Virginia has a set maximum. Under current Ohio law, beer produced or sold in the state is restricted to 12 percent ABV. Ohio last raised its ABV cap in 2002, from 6 percent to 12 percent alcohol by volume.
This legislation was first introduced for consideration in 2011, with 8 co-sponsors. Since that time, the legislation has gained strong bipartisan support, with 20 co-sponsors from all parts of the state. The bill will soon receive a number and be referred to a standing House committee for further consideration.
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