Bill: SB 951, 85(R) - 2017
Committee
Senate Business & Commerce
Vote Recommendation
| Vote Recommendation |
Economic Freedom |
Property Rights |
Personal Responsibility |
Limited Government |
Individual Liberty |
| Vote Yes; Amend |
Positive |
Neutral |
Neutral |
Positive |
Neutral |
Author(s)
Kelly Hancock
Bill Caption
Relating to the regulation of the manufacture and sale of wine and certain related activities; authorizing a fee.
Fiscal Notes
From the Legislative Budget Board: no significant fiscal implication to the state is anticipated.
Bill Analysis
SB 951 would amend the Alcoholic Beverage Code to allow the holder of a winery permit to buy bulk wine from the holder of a grower’s permit and store bulk wine on behalf of the holder of a grower’s permit. Next, a grower’s permit would be created to allow a permitee to provide fruit to a winery permit holder, store bulk wine on the grower’s premises, sell bulk wine to the holder of a winery permit, and sell bulk wine to a qualified people outside the state. The permit fee would be $150. Finally, wine bottler’s permits would be abolished.
Vote Recommendation Notes
This bill addresses an industry that is heavily regulated with onerous and convoluted regulations that hinder efficient, market-driven transactions. While this bill does create a new permit and corresponding fee it does so in a way that allows a wine grower more flexibility in the way they handle their own product. We support this because on balance it lightens the regulatory burden for this industry. Our amendment suggestion is to further deregulate this industry to use the lightest regulatory touch possible so that it can operate more fully on free market principles and be less bound by state imposed controls. Nevertheless, we support SB 951 with our without such an amendment.
