The Washington Brewers Guild just received information that two senators (Hargrove and Haugen) are suggesting a beer tax to help raise revenue in the Senate Revenue Proposal. Please take a moment (that’s all it takes) to contact your senators and tell them to oppose any increase to taxation on beer.
In Olympia, they are in a mad rush to get things done right now. That means we need to release the hounds NOW and let them know that we oppose any increase to taxation on beer. As readers of this blog, I do not need to tell you that the craft beer industry is strong and growing in Washington. Do not let them do anything that will jeopardize that.
To locate and contact your senators, go here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx
Below is the note that I sent this morning. Plagiarize if you like.
I want you to stand in opposition to any proposed increases to taxes on beer. Washington benefits from a vibrant and growing craft beer industry and craft beer culture. Increasing beer taxes will negatively impact one of the few industries that is actually growing and creating jobs in Washington.
Off the top of my head, I can think of a dozen new breweries that have opened in the past year in Washington. Any increase to beer taxes promises to negatively impact beer sales for all of Washington 120+ breweries.
Here in the 34th District, new beer-related businesses have emerged or are planned. We should be fostering these new businesses in these troubled economic times–helping them create jobs and helping them provide the state with revenue through existing tax streams. In these difficult times, we should not do anything that negatively impacts them. Porterhouse Pub, which specializes in craft beer, opened last summer in the Admiral District. The Beer Junction is a bottle shop (beer store) that will soon open near Jefferson Square. The Shipwreck Tavern opened last autumn. I could continue. These businesses create jobs and otherwise positively impact our state’s economy.
In the other Washington, Representative Jim McDermott is currently co-sponsoring a bill that will positively impact our state’s beer industry and we applaud him for doing so. We hope that you will follow his lead and help protect and nurture Washington’s craft beer industry.
Oppose any increase to taxation on beer.
Thank you,
Kendall Jones
I heavily plagiarized your note and sent it to my reps in Olympia and DC. Hopefully it will do some good. Yes, taxes pay for good stuff like roads and services, but there are other channels for funding besides taxing beer…
All you beer lovers need to act on this now. Don’t wait, don’t grab another beer, send a note to your State Reps now.
Update: Excise tax increase proposal is targeted for breweries with 60,000 BBL annual production or more. This is still a bad and dangerous idea! Please continue to contact your representatives in Olympia because these ideas and proposals can take on new and strange forms of life at this point.