Were you guys watching the machinations last week regarding beer brewers’ quest to get the General Assembly to change the law to remove the cap on the alcohol content of beer?
Well, the “big beer” advocates, who apparently got a little lax, got sucker punched. Earlier in the week, much was made in the media of a Senate committee’s approval of a bill to raise the limit on the alcohol content of beer to up to 15 percent. Right now, it’s capped at 6 percent in North Carolina, one of just about five or six states in the U.S. to have such a low cap.
After making it out of committee, the bill appeared to be headed for smooth sailing and full approval. It’s already passed the House.
But later in the week, a state senator had the bill pulled from full Senate consideration. Sen. John Kerr, D-Wayne County, co-chairman of the finance committee, had the bill yanked because he said he wanted a staff report on the fiscal ramifications of the legislation, according to a story in the Daily Reflector newspaper down east.
In committee, Sen. Harris Blake, R-Moore County, was the only committee member to vote against the bill. But it looks like a powerful lobby called the Christian Action League of North Carolina got to some senators. The Rev. Mark Creech, the league’s leader, spoke against the bill in the committee hearing, arguing that it could open the way for the sale of liquor at grocery stores rather than only in state-run ABC stores. He said young people would be more attracted to beers with higher alcohol content, too.
The pro-big beer lobby group, Pop the Cap, has been working hard, and quietly, for more than a year to keep this bill on track. The organization has a top Raleigh lobbyist. But they weren’t paying close enough attention to their opposition and may have gotten lulled a little.
Microbrewers have been pretty darn sure of themselves, and many of them were reportedly ready to celebrate after the bill made it out of committee last Tuesday. Now everything is on hold.
We’ll keep you updated.