The 2015 Legislature Begins

Well, It's legislation time time again. It's that wonderful time of year when people who don't know you try impose their values onto you. Now don't get me wrong many good things come out the legislative session every year, but what we tend to focus on here at the Utah Beer Blog is how the people who are making the laws affect our ability to live in a more prosperous adult oriented pro-alcohol culture.

So over the next 45 days or so we will attempt to keep you up to date on all of the relevant beer and alcohol related issues that may affect the way you enjoy and live your lives. With the departure of John Valentine (the main alcohol opponent) from the Utah State Senate, many feel this is the time for great change. My experience spending time in those Business and Labor Interim Committee meetings tells me there will be no significant loosening of beer/alcohol related laws this session. Any real change is going to take at least a year or two of examination before it will come close to being heard in committee. However, some tweaking may come around this session in regards to the Zion Curtain or "Beer Burka" as we're fond of calling it here. But who knows? They've surprised us before.

In any regard stay close and please participate in the process. Help spread the word if you come across anything positive or controversial so we can support or defend our beer releated interests.

As of Today Rep. Curtis Oda has filed HB0016 a bill to clarify special event permits. Remember that whole Snowbird Oktoberfest fiasco? And Rep. Steve Eliason has put forth HB0048 a bill that would outlaw powdered alcohol from being sold in the state.

If these are of concern to you, now is the time to get on your Representative or Senator and start rattling their chains. Now go forth and do Thor's work!

Cheers!

Cartoon Courtesy: Pat Bagley