Though a Bill intended to create a study of Montana’s alcohol licensing system failed to pass both chambers during the 2015 Montana Legislative Session, much discussion continues to occur among the participants. That Bill, HB 618, was quickly watered down and would have directed the Economic Affairs Interim Committee only to study whether to undertake…
I wish I was kidding, but this is the current state of alcohol related legislation in Montana. When HB 326 and HB 336 died in Committee in February, it may have seemed like the end of significant alcohol related legislation for 2015. But two other bills quietly percolated beneath the surface. House Bill 619, sponsored…
The Montana House of Representatives’ Business and Labor Committee tabled further action on HB 326 and HB 336 this morning, likely spelling the end of both bills during the 2015 Montana Legislative Session. HB 326 would have allowed breweries to directly purchase a retail license (from the open market in most areas), permitting them to…
Rep. Tom Berry, Chair of the Montana House Business and Labor Committee, announced this morning the Committee would take action on House Bill 326 and House Bill 336 tomorrow morning, Wednesday, February 11. The Committee was expected to take action today, but reports indicate Rep. Ryan Lynch requested the delay while amendments are being processed.…
It was standing room only in Room 172 of the Montana State Capital building today for the House of Representatives’ Business and Labor Committee hearing on three beer-related bills. After nearly four hours, only one thing remained clear: the tension and simmering anger that dominated the 2013 session has not dissipated, it has merely shifted…
In the waning days of the 2013 Montana Legislative Session, the House of Representatives took up a joint House/Senate resolution that made practical sense. House Joint Resolution No. 18 would have created a legislative interim study committee to review Montana’s system of alcohol licensing and make recommendations for change to the 2015 Montana Legislature. The…
The Montana House of Representatives’ Business and Labor Committee will take up three beer-related bills this Friday, February 6, at 8:00 a.m. in what will be a very action packed hearing. A fourth alcohol-related bill is also on the schedule. For those wishing to participate in person, the hearing is scheduled to take place in…
With competing beer licensing-related bills headed for a hearing before the Montana House of Representatives’ Business and Labor Committee this Friday, February 6, a new coalition of brewers and industry participants has formed to support an alternative to the Montana Tavern Association/Montana Brewers Association’s license-stacking bill. Calling it the Coalition for Beer Fairness, the group…
The House Business and Labor Committee of the Montana Legislature has scheduled HB 326 and HB 336 for hearings on Friday, February 6, at 8:00 a.m. The bills represent different approaches to an issue facing the brewing industry. HB 326, dubbed the “Montana Brewers Act” is supported by a coalition formed between the Montana Tavern…
The Montana Beer and Wine Distributors Association (MBWDA) announced today it has withdrawn from a coalition of alcohol industry groups over a disagreement with the Montana Tavern Association’s and Montana Brewers Association’s plans to seek changes to alcohol licensing requirements during the 2015 Montana Legislative Session. For background on the proposed “license stacking” bill, see…