"Hi All,
Just wanted to update everyone on the Utah bill to legalize homebrewing.
The Senate Rules Committee chose not to allow HB 425 to go to a vote in
the Senate, so the bill died with the end of the legislative session
yesterday. From what I have heard from Representative Johnson's office,
the decision not to allow a hearing of the bill had more to do with a
tit-for-tat issue between the House and Senate on another bill than any
opposition to legalizing homebrewing in Utah. Unfortunately, that is
the way politics goes sometimes.
On the bright side, we made huge progress over previous attempts to
legalize homebrewing in Utah. A big thanks goes to all of the Utah AHA
members who emailed and phoned their representatives - their efforts
made helped to get the bill through the House Government Operations
Committee and through an overwhelmingly positive vote in the full House.
Our biggest obstacle this time around was time - we ran out of it. I am
confident that we will be successful with a future attempt. It sounds
like Representative Johnson may be sponsoring the bill again at
beginning the next legislative session which begins January 2009.
Still up for a fight!
Gary
Gary Glass
Director
American Homebrewers Association
888-U-CAN-BREW
303-447-0816 x 121
[email protected]
www.beertown.org "
