Support WA State Senate Bill 5060

[BrewDog]

FYI fellow homebrewers:


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Fellow home brewers and wine makers,

We need your help to change Washington ’s homemade beer and wine transportation laws. While current regulations allow production of homemade beer and wine, they prohibit transportation or sharing of homemade beer and wine outside of the house of production and limit the transfer to only competitions or exhibitions.

The current regulations make most homemade beer and wine events practiced in the rest of the United States illegal. Simple things like “non-competitive” tastings at a club meeting or taking a bottle of beer or wine to a neighbor’s house are essentially illegal. This hinders the progression of the homemade beer and wine communities in Washington .

The Washington Homebrewers Association (WAHA) is leading the fight to change the laws. We are encouraging people to contact their legislators asking for support of support Senate Bill 5060. This bill will change the regulations to allow for homemade beer and wine to be removed from the house of production to be used for private consumption or use in community events such as tastings, club meetings, conferences, and competitions.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

To be a part of the effort, go to: http://www.wahomebrewers.org/legal

You’ll find more information about the effort, background information on homemade beer and wine making, links to find your legislators, and everything you’ll need to help convince our leaders that passing this bill is a great change.

You simply need to send an e-mail and/or make a phone call to your three legislators asking for their support of Senate Bill 5060. Let them know about your experiences with homemade beer and wine and why you think supporting our community will be good for Washington . It just takes a simple message to help make this happen! Please go to the website today and get a hold of your legislators!

Pass the word on to other Washington brewers and wine makers. Please tell all of your Washington family and friends who enjoy homemade beer and wine about our effort and ask for their help too! More legislative contacts will increase our chances of passing the bill!

Thanks for your support of Washington’s home brewers and winemakers!

Cheers,

Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair
mark@wahomebrewers.org

[BrewDog]

Washington Senate Bill 5060 Moving to Committee

Washington Homemade Beer and Wine Makers,

Our legislative effort to change Washington's homemade beer and wine laws is moving forward! We are continuing the fight to earn you the right to remove your homemade beer and wine from your homes legally and responsibly!

Senate Bill 5060 is currently scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Commerce, Labor, and Consumer Protection Committee on Tuesday, January 20th at 1:30 pm in Olympia. There is a fairly good probability that the date may change due to the Inauguration. At this point we are unsure whether or not the hearing will stay on the same day or would be moved to the following day or rescheduled until later. For the current status of the bill, you can track its progress online at:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/Summary.aspx?bill=5060&year=2009

When the bill DOES go to committee, we would like to ask any available homebrewers or wine makers who can take some time to come to Olympia to attend the public hearing and show your support. This is a huge investment in the future of Washington's homemade beer and wine producers and we want you to be part of the effort! If you can come down to support us, you can RSVP at the website below and we will update you as the schedule develops.
http://tinyurl.com/senatebill

What we need now is for people to contact the members of the Senate Commerce, Labor, and Consumer Protection Committee to ask for them to support Senate Bill 5060 through committee. You can just give them a call and let them know that you'd like them to support our community and Washington's brewing and wine making future by supporting our bill. For quick reference, here are their e-mail addresses and phone numbers:

Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles: (360) 786-7670, kohl-welles.jeanne@leg.wa.gov
Senator Karen Keiser: (360) 786-7664, keiser.karen@leg.wa.gov
Senator Janea Holmquist: (360) 786-7624, holmquist.janea@leg.wa.gov
Senator Rosa Franklin: (360) 786-7656, franklin.rosa@leg.wa.gov
Senator Jim Honeyford: (360) 786-7684, honeyford.jim@leg.wa.gov
Senator Curtis King: (360) 786-7626, king.curtis@leg.wa.gov
Senator Adam Kline: (360) 786-7688, kline.adam@leg.wa.gov

The current list of members of the Senate Commerce, Labor, and Consumer Protection Committee is at:
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/LCCP/MembersStaff.htm
Their current agenda is at:
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/LCCP/Agendas.htm

Remember, all of the information you need, updates, and background material for our effort can be found at www.wahomebrewers.org/legal If you haven't done so, take a second to read the proposed bill wording here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2009-10/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5060.pdf

Thanks so much for everyone's support so far! Remember, contacts to your legislators is easy and makes a world of difference! Keep up the great work!

Cheers,
Mark Emiley
Washington Homebrewers Association Executive Chair

[BrewDog]

Washington homebrewers and winemakers! (We apologize for repeat e-mails and repeat posts)

Raise a pint, but get ready to raise the phone some more!

I am extremely happy to announce that after testifying in the Senate Labor, Commerce, and Consumer Protection Committee on the 20th, our homemade beer and wine transportation bill was supported unanimously and moved out of committee! Thanks to testimony by Mark Emiley, Alejandro Brown of Big Al Brewing, Bob Edmiston, and Kenneth Reister, we convinced the committee of the merits of our bill with no opposition!

We also received feedback that our approach of flooding the committee members with e-mails and phone contacts has helped us get an early hearing and quick passage! All of you who contacted the committee members, THANK YOU!!! You made this first step possible! We will continue the effort by focusing contacts on the subsequent committees and legislators as the effort progresses.

The good news is that we are on a strong course thanks to everyone's help. But making a bill into law has a bunch of little hurdles. We will continue to guide you through them and help point you to the next area to focus on. Always check at www.wahomebrewers.org/legal for the current details.

Our next target: the Senate Rules Committee. This committee is responsible for determining which bills are heard in front of the Senate. We need you to contact the members of the committee and ask them to quickly move Senate Bill 5060 to a vote on the Senate floor.
http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/RULE/members.htm

This is an "easy" contact. Just call and e-mail their offices and tell them your name, where you are from, and that Senate Bill 5060 passed the Labor, Commerce, and Consumer Protection Committee unanimously and that you want them to move Senate Bill 5060 (the homemade beer and wine transportation bill) to a vote on the Senate Floor. These contacts can literally take less than a minute.

Also, it will be helpful to contact the Lt. Governor's office with the same message (http://ltgov.wa.gov/contactLG.htm)

Here's the list! Go get them! If one of them is your Senator, PLEASE MAKE SURE THEY KNOW YOU ARE ONE OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS! Contacting them is your top priority.

Senate Rules Committee Members
Senator Rosa Franklin
Franklin.Rosa@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7656
Senator Mike Hewitt
Hewitt.Mike@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7630
Senator Lisa Brown
Brown.Lisa@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7604
Senator Tracey Eide
Eide.Tracey@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7658
Senator Karen Fraser
Fraser.Karen@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7642
Senator Mary Margaret Haugen
Haugen.MaryMargaret@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7618
Senator Claudia Kauffman
Kauffman.Claudia@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7692
Senator Karen Keiser
Keiser.Karen@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7664
Senator Curtis King
King.Curtis@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7626
Senator Chris Marr
Marr.Chris@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7610
Senator Ed Murray
Murray.Edward@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7628
Senator Linda Evans Parlette
Parlette.Linda@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7622
Senator Craig Pridemore
Pridemore.Craig@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7696
Senator Debbie Regala
Regala.Debbie@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7652
Senator Mark Schoesler
Schoesler.Mark@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7620
Senator Val Stevens
Stevens.Val@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7676
Senator Joseph Zarelli
Zarelli.Joseph@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7634
Lieutenant Governor
Lt. Gov Brad Owen
ltgov@leg.wa.gov (360) 786-7700

I know this list is longer than the one before. We still need to contact them all! Just work on a few at a time if you only have a little time but please try to work your way through the list.

For the latest updates, always check back at
www.wahomebrewers.org/legal
Keep making the contacts! Step by step we are making progress as a community! After this the next step is the Senate floor!!!

Cheers,
Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair

PS. Please forward this onto your Washington friends and family for support.

[cynical_writer]

Im emailing now... Phoning a few, maybe more.

Wow thats alot of 360's and NO 509's... Stupid democratic state...

[BrewDog]

Washington Homebrewers and Wine Makers, (thanks for your patience with the messages)

Senate Bill 5060 which will allow for homemade beer and wine to be transported out of the house of production for private use as well as use in organized events is currently in the Senate Rules Committee. Bills are starting to come out of committee now so we need your help once again to move our bill forward to a Senate Vote.

Here's what we need everyone to do:

1. EVERYONE: Contact your SENATOR and ask for their support of Senate Bill 5060 when it comes to a floor vote. Let them know about what the bill means to you and why it is important. DO IT AGAIN EVEN IF YOU CONTACTED THEM EARLIER: it just shows your conviction! You can find your Senator through this link:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

2. EVERYONE: Contact the following three people and ask for their support in moving Senate Bill 5060 out of the Senate Rules committee and out for a floor vote (please do this again if you already have):
Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen: ltgov@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7700
Senator Rosa Franklin - Chair: Franklin.Rosa@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7656
Senator Mike Hewitt - Vice Chair: Hewitt.Mike@leg.wa.gov, (360) 786-7630

3. If possible, please contact other members of the Senate Rules Committee (http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/RULE/members.htm) and ask for their support and help in moving Senate Bill 5060 out of the Rules Committee. The list is a bit long, so if you only have limited time to call, make sure to contact your Senator if they are on the list, as well as Senators with last names that fall within the same following groups as your last name: (A-H), (I-Q), (R-Z)

For example, if your name was John Roe, we ask that you call your Senator, Franklin, Hewitt, Owen, and, if possible, the Senators in the Senate Rules Committee with last names starting with R-Z.

Every contact helps and trust us, they notice!!!

The bill could come out any day so it is important to call your Senator now, let them know about the bill, and ask them for their support!

For the latest information on the bill and who you need to contact, go to:
http://www.wahomebrewers.org/legal

This is a home-brewed legislative effort and it takes all of us to do our part. Please spend a few minutes today, make the calls, and send the e-mails! We all appreciate your help!

Cheers,
Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair

[BrewDog]

bump!

Please call your senators & representatives!

[BrewDog]

THIS IS IT GUYS!

IT GOES TO VOTE TOMORROW

Fellow homebrewers and winemakers, (Reps, please distribute)

More than likely, tomorrow morning (Friday, the 27th) Senate Bill 5060 will go to a Senate floor vote. Time for one last call/contact to your Senator to remind them of their support for the Bill.

The easiest way to do this (and to start priming your Representatives) is to call the legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000) to leave a message for your legislators (all of them) and simply say "Please support Senate Bill 5060." It is easy and the call is free. They'll just ask for your address to find your legislators and the rest is up to them!

Remember, you can find your legislators (for e-mail or phone numbers) through this link:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

Just a quick call or message is all it takes. That number once again, 1-800-562-6000.

Thanks for your support! We'll send a message as soon as we hear about the vote! Check http://www.wahomebrewers.org/legal for the current info!

Cheers!
Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair

[BrewDog]

WAHOOOOO!!!!!!

It PASSED UNANIMOUSLY!!!!!!!

1/2 way there, Now, on to the House!
Thanks to all who helped so far!

[BrewDog]

Washington Homemade Beer and Winemakers- (club reps, please disseminate)

The Washington Homebrewers Association is happy to announce that Senate Bill 5060 passed the Washington State Senate
unanimously on February 27th! On to the House!

We now need you to contact members of the House Commerce and Labor Committee to ask for their support of Senate Bill 5060 (regarding the transportation of homemade beer and wine) through committee. Let them know that it passed on the Senate floor unanimously and is a good stimulus bill for Washington's home brewers and winemakers as well as for our craft beer and wine industries. Simply give them a call or shoot them an e-mail. The committee members are listed below:

House Commerce and Labor Committee Members
Rep. Steve Conway (Chair)
(360) 786-7906
conway.steve@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Alex Wood (Vice Chair)
(360) 786-7888
wood.alex@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Cary Condotta
(360) 786-7954
condotta.cary@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Bruce Chandler
(360) 786-7960
chandler.bruce@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Larry Crouse
(360) 786-7820
crouse.larry@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tami Green
(360) 786-7958
green.tami@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jim Moeller
(360) 786-7872
moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Brendan Williams
(360) 786-7940
williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov

At this point, please begin contacting your Representatives as well to start mustering their support. You can find them here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

We will be needing people to come down for a show of force at the committee hearing once the bill get scheduled so please keep checking the website for details:
http://www.wahomebrewers.org/legal

Great work everyone! We are about halfway there!
Cheers,
Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair

[BrewDog]

Washington Homemade Beer and Winemakers, (Club reps please disseminate)

Senate Bill 5060 has been scheduled for a House Commerce and Labor Committee hearing on March 13th, starting at 8:00 am. We'd love to have a good strong showing of folks for this hearing. Here are the two main actions:

1. If you can make it to Olympia for the hearing, here are the details:
House Commerce and Labor Committee Hearing
03/13/09 8:00 am
Full Committee
House Hearing Rm B
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA

Please RSVP at http://www.tinyurl.com/5060hearing
You can find details about visiting the Legislature here:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/WorkingwithLeg/

2. EVeryone keep contacting members of the House Commerce and Labor Committee to ask for their support of Senate Bill 5060 (regarding the transportation of homemade beer and wine) through committee. Let them know that it passed on the Senate floor unanimously and is a good stimulus bill for Washington's home brewers and winemakers as well as for our craft beer and wine industries. Simply give them a call or shoot them an e-mail. The committee members are listed below:

House Commerce and Labor Committee Members
Rep. Steve Conway (Chair)
(360) 786-7906 conway.steve@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Alex Wood (Vice Chair)
(360) 786-7888 wood.alex@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Cary Condotta
(360) 786-7954 condotta.cary@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Bruce Chandler
(360) 786-7960 chandler.bruce@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Larry Crouse
(360) 786-7820 crouse.larry@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tami Green
(360) 786-7958 green.tami@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jim Moeller
(360) 786-7872 moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Brendan Williams
(360) 786-7940
williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov

If you (or your club) are in one of their districts, PLEASE make sure you contact them!

At this point, please begin contacting your Representatives as well to start mustering their support. You can find them here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

As always, keep checking the WAHA website for details:
http://www.wahomebrewers.org/legal

Thanks again for your support!

Cheers,
Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair

[BrewDog]

Washington Homebrewers and Winemakers, (club reps disseminate immediately)

Here is an update on Senate Bill 5060. At the hearing last Friday, we had four WAHA members give great testimony again. But after our testimony, the Liquor Control Board and Washington Wine Institute somewhat blindsided us with objections, primarily relating to the 501(c)3 clause, but in general about the possibility of unregulated beer and wine being available to the public (though this would have been mainly possibly only through the 501(c)3 clause). As a result, over the past week we've been working with the LCB on wording that would align us with national transportation regulations and ensure that homemade beer or wine could be used for private events (like dinner at a friend's, the NHC, or club meetings).

So, we have a new amendment to the bill which removes the 501(c)3 clause (due to the loopholes that it would have inadvertently created), aligns closely with the national transportation regulations, and still ensures that we can do the things that we were aiming to do. The LCB is in agreement with amendment so we should be in clear sailing with them from here on out.

The amendment could be added on and voted on within the committee on Wednesday, March 25th. We need your contacts once again to help convince them that this is a good bill and that their concerns have been addressed.

So please contact the members of the House Commerce and Labor Committee before Wednesday (again if you already have) and ask them to support the amended Senate Bill 5060 through committee.

House Commerce and Labor Committee Members
Rep. Steve Conway (Chair)
(360) 786-7906 conway.steve@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Alex Wood (Vice Chair)
(360) 786-7888 wood.alex@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Cary Condotta
(360) 786-7954 condotta.cary@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Bruce Chandler
(360) 786-7960 chandler.bruce@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Larry Crouse
(360) 786-7820 crouse.larry@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Tami Green
(360) 786-7958 green.tami@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jim Moeller
(360) 786-7872 moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Brendan Williams
(360) 786-7940
williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov

It just takes a quick e-mail or phone call stating that you hope they support the amended bill, that it has the LCB's support, and that it allows for growth and strengthening of Washington's homemade and professional beer and wine communities

We know this has been a long process but the session is drawing to a close in a while and we want to get this done!

Once this amended bill gets passed out of committee, it will then move to the House Rules Commmittee to be scheduled for a floor vote. Please keep in touch with your reps and let them know to support it! After the floor vote, it is our understanding that the amended bill will move right back over to the Senate Floor for a vote (it shouldn't be going through committee over there). Then on to the governor's desk.

Thanks for your patience with this process. We need to keep momentum through the end so please help get the word out, send the e-mails and make the calls!

As always, you can find your own legislators and contact them asking for their support here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

You can leave a message for all of your legislators on the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000.

And you can find the current status of the effort at http://www.wahomebrewers.org/legal

Thanks,
Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair

[BrewDog]

Washington Homebrewers and Winemakers, (club reps please pass on)

On Wednesday, March 25th, the House Commerce and Labor Committee formally added the amendment to Senate Bill 5060 and passed it out of committee unanimously with a "do pass" recommendation.

Our next effort is getting through the House Rules Committee and onto the House Floor for a vote. Please help by contacting the committee and your Representatives now (again)! This is the homestretch!

The committee list is a bit long but you can hit all of them with a quick e-mail letting them know that SB 5060 was supported unanimously by the House C&L committee and to move the bill out for a floor vote. If you only have limited time to make calls, make sure to contact your Representative if they are on the list, Reprentatives Chop and DeBolt, and if possible, the Representatives with last names that fall within the same following groups as your last name: (A-H), (I-L), (M-Z).

Here's the list. We are too close to let this fail so take a few minutes to keep the ball rolling.

Rep Frank Chopp (Chair)
(360) 786-7920
chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov

Rep Richard DeBolt
(360) 786-7896
debolt.richard@leg.wa.gov

Rep Mike Armstrong
(360) 786-7832
armstrong.mike@leg.wa.gov

Rep Barbara Bailey
(360) 786-7914
bailey.barbara@leg.wa.gov

Rep Deborah Eddy
(360) 786-7848
eddy.deborah@leg.wa.gov

Rep Mark Ericks
(360) 786-7900
ericks.mark@leg.wa.gov

Rep Tami Green
(360) 786-7958
green.tami@leg.wa.gov

Rep Bob Hasegawa
(360) 786-7862
hasegawa.bob@leg.wa.gov

Rep Bill Hinkle
(360) 786-7808
hinkle.bill@leg.wa.gov

Rep Zachary Hudgins
(360) 786-7956
hudgins.zack@leg.wa.gov

Rep Norm Johnson
(360) 786-7810
johnson.norm@leg.wa.gov

Rep Troy Kelley
(360) 786-7890
kelley.troy@leg.wa.gov

Rep Lynn Kessler
(360) 786-7904
kessler.lynn@leg.wa.gov

Rep Joel Kretz
(360) 786-7988
kretz.joel@leg.wa.gov

Rep Dan Kristiansen
(360) 786-7967
kristiansen.dan@leg.wa.gov

Rep Marko Liias
(360) 786-7972
liias.marko@leg.wa.gov

Rep Jim Moeller
(360) 786-7872
moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov

Rep Dawn Morrell
(360) 786-7968
morrell.dawn@leg.wa.gov

Rep Jeff Morris
(360) 786-7970
morris.jeff@leg.wa.gov

Rep Sharon Tomiko Santos
(360) 786-7944
santos.sharontomiko@leg.wa.gov

Rep Joe Schmick
(360) 786-7844
schmick.joe@leg.wa.gov

Rep Larry Springer
(360) 786-7822
springer.larry@leg.wa.gov

Rep Kevin Van De Wege
(360) 786-7916
vandewege.kevin@leg.wa.gov

Rep Judy Warnick
(360) 786-7932



And remember, you can leave a quick message for all of your representatives and the governor by calling 1-800-562-6000 and asking them to support Senate Bill 5060.

Thanks for everyone's help and continued support. Once again, each contact you make is what makes this keep going.

Cheers,
Mark Emiley
WAHA Executive Chair

[BrewDog]

Washington Homemade Beer and Wine Makers,

Today Senate Bill 5060 (which would allow transportation of homemade beer and
wine out of the house of production for private events and use) came one big
step closer to being law when the House voted 90-3 in support of the bill!
The bill now heads back to the Senate for concurrence and if passed, onto the
Governor to be signed into law.

These are the final steps! You can help us finish this up by contacting your
Senator one more time asking them to support the amended bill and by leaving a
message for the Governor asking for her support in signing the bill into law
when it comes to her desk. Take a minute to call 1-800-562-6000 and leave
message for both your Senator and Governor at once!

Or give your legislator a call or write them an e-mail. You can find your
legislator here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

As always, check in at http://www.wahomebrewers.org/legal for the most up to
date information.
Almost there! Thanks to everyone for making this happen! Your calls are
what seal the deal!

Cheers,
Mark