It wasn’t expected to be like this. Before the 63rd Montana Legislature convened on January 7, 2013, most observers predicted a quiet session for craft beer. The Department of Revenue had it’s brew-on-premise license proposal. A smattering of proposals to provide for true bottle shops and to change direct shipment rules lurked in the fine…
The Montana House Business and Labor Committee approved HJ 18 this morning by unanimous vote during executive action on the bill. HJ 18, a proposal originating from the Montana Brewers Association, would create an interim study committee to conduct a thorough examination of Montana’s alcohol laws. The study’s purpose would be to “identify recommendations to…
Two very different ideas were presented to the Montana House Business and Labor Committee this morning in a lengthy, civil hearing that drew tavern owners, brewers, barley growers, consumers and other industry members from around the state. The hearing on HB 616, the so-called “brewery killing bill,” sponsored by Rep. Roger Hagen, started out with…
Consider this, if you will: “Once considered nuisances, sources of noxious emissions and debasers of public morals, breweries now are being actively courted. Last May, Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) signed into law a measure that allows breweries to retail beer by the pint or growler in their tasting rooms instead of merely giving…
The text of the Montana Tavern Association’s proposed bill to restrict brewery tap room sales (or force them to buy a retail license for $100,000) is now available on the Montana Legislature’s website. The bill is currently known as LC 1429 and the text is “unapproved” and subject to change until introduced to the Legislature. …
I think we can all agree Montana’s system of alcohol laws needs work. Montana is not unique in that regard, but the recent efforts by the Montana Tavern Association to hamstring the brewing industry serve to highlight a particularly big schism caused by our laws. That effort hasn’t gone away and the MTA is still…
There is no hotter topic related to beer in Montana now than the (still unrelased) proposed bill to significantly amend the “small brewery exception” afforded Montana’s breweries with annual production of between 100 and 10,000 barrels. The exception permits small breweries to sell up to 48 ounces, per person, per day between the hours of…
HB 524 easily passed the Montana House of Representatives Friday on a 95-2 final vote and should be transmitted to the Senate for it’s consideration soon. HB 524 would remove the grocery store/pharmacy requirement for off-premise retail licenses for beer and wine. Sort of. As originally proposed, HB 524 merely eliminated the grocery store/pharmacy requirement. …
A bill to clearly prohibit patrons from bringing their own alcohol into restaurants and other establishments that do not have an on-premise alcohol license was rejected by the Montana House of Representatives today on a 31-69 vote. Sponsored by Representative Roger Hagan, House Bill 405 easily passed out of committee (17-3), but it wasn’t even…
The 2013 Montana Legislature has made it to the halfway point, known as the transmittal date when most bills must be passed by one branch and sent to the other for further consideration. Those that fail to meet this date are dead in all but the rarest situations . Revenue bills and a couple other…