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Author Topic: Wisconsin Homebrewer Legislative Alert/ Call to Action  (Read 4408 times)

Offline brewing_in_mke

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Wisconsin Homebrewer Legislative Alert/ Call to Action
« on: January 09, 2012, 07:06:00 pm »
Dear Fellow Wisconsin Homebrewers:

As some of you may be aware, there have been some developments in the past year with how the WI Department of Revenue interprets the current State Statues relative to homebrewing. The current statutes can be found here : https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/125/I/06 . If you take a strict interpretation of those statues, the only place one can make or enjoy your own home brewed beer is at your home or farm. This means you could not legally brew a beer and hand it over your fence to your neighbor. The Wisconsin statues are outdated and not conforming with the overall Federal statutes regarding homebrewing. you can review the AHA's copy of the Federal Statues here: http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/government-affairs/statutes/united-states . One of the highlights of the Federal Statute is the following section:

§ 25.206 Removal of beer.

Beer made under §25.205 may be removed from the premises where made for personal or family use including use at organized affairs, exhibitions or competitions such as homemaker's contests, tastings or judging. Beer removed under this section may not be sold or offered for sale.

All of those activities are not allowed by Wisconsin statute. So the State Fair beer and wine completions would not be allowed, tastings and homebrew club meetings would also not be allowed.

A group was formed earlier this year to address these problems. The AHA formed the Wisconsin Homebrewer's Alliance. The group was comprised of a member from as many homebrew clubs as we could find contacts for, homebrew shop owners, etc. This group has worked to introduce legislation to the Wisconsin Senate to correct these deficiencies. We have been asked to voice our support to our State Senators and Assembly members in support of this legislation. The proposed legislation can be found here: http://beerbarons.org/pdf/proposed_homebrew_law_11_31011.pdf

Now is the time for all Wisconsin Homebrewer's to take action and ask for your representative's to support this bill. Below is an except from an email to the Wisconsin Homebrewer's Alliance from 1/5/2012:

"...Sen. Ellis's office and a "Dear Colleague" letter is going out within minutes asking for co-sponsorship of our legislation. The co-sponsorship period is for 2 weeks starting from today. So, now is the time for all of our memberss to contact their respective Clubs to get them to contact both of their legislators. The most sponsors that we can get the better. The legislation is LRB 3101 The Ellis/Kaufert legislation. We can also contact breweries, distributors, homebrew shops, etc. We can also alert the press ...

He did give me one word of warning. Time is running short. The January floor period is taken up already leaving only February and March. The legislature is going to shut ASAP due to the recalls."

Find your local legislators here : http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx
« Last Edit: January 09, 2012, 09:02:35 pm by brewing_in_mke »
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Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative

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Offline jeffy

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Re: Wisconsin Homebrewer Legislative Alert/ Call to Action
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2012, 08:41:11 am »
I can't find a link to it, but there's an Associated Press article in today's Tampa Bay Times about Wisconsin Homebrew legislation.  It is accompanied by a photo of Kevin Flynn 46, of Caledonia and his brewing system.  Is Kevin a forum member?
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline brewing_in_mke

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Re: Wisconsin Homebrewer Legislative Alert/ Call to Action
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2012, 02:40:59 pm »
I can't find a link to it, but there's an Associated Press article in today's Tampa Bay Times about Wisconsin Homebrew legislation.  It is accompanied by a photo of Kevin Flynn 46, of Caledonia and his brewing system.  Is Kevin a forum member?

I don't know if Kevin is on the AHA forum or not.  Can I help you with anything?  I am also quoted in the article.
President
Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative

www.beerbarons.org
www.twitter.com/beerbaronsmke

Offline jeffy

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Re: Wisconsin Homebrewer Legislative Alert/ Call to Action
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2012, 08:59:00 pm »
I can't find a link to it, but there's an Associated Press article in today's Tampa Bay Times about Wisconsin Homebrew legislation.  It is accompanied by a photo of Kevin Flynn 46, of Caledonia and his brewing system.  Is Kevin a forum member?

I don't know if Kevin is on the AHA forum or not.  Can I help you with anything?  I am also quoted in the article.
No, just spreading the word about a Wisconsin beer article in a Florida newspaper.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline brewing_in_mke

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Re: Wisconsin Homebrewer Legislative Alert/ Call to Action
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2012, 11:30:35 pm »
I can't find a link to it, but there's an Associated Press article in today's Tampa Bay Times about Wisconsin Homebrew legislation.  It is accompanied by a photo of Kevin Flynn 46, of Caledonia and his brewing system.  Is Kevin a forum member?

I don't know if Kevin is on the AHA forum or not.  Can I help you with anything?  I am also quoted in the article.
No, just spreading the word about a Wisconsin beer article in a Florida newspaper.




Here is a link to a copy of the story from Business Week.  It is an AP wire story.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-03/D9TLH20O1.htm
President
Beer Barons of Milwaukee Cooperative

www.beerbarons.org
www.twitter.com/beerbaronsmke