Today, CraftPAC, the political action committee of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, is proud to announce state legislative endorsements for the 2020 Texas general election. 

Coming off the heels of a landmark 2019 legislative session in which Texas craft breweries gained the right to sell Beer-To-Go, and saw numerous positive changes to the state’s arcane beer laws under the TABC Sunset Bill, the lawmakers CraftPAC is endorsing today have a proven track record of supporting the advancement of the Texas craft brewing industry through their key votes in favor of this important legislation and a continued willingness to sit down, listen, and engage on the issues that matter to small and independent brewers.

The craft brewing industry is responsible for more than $5 billion in economic impact for the state of Texas and the creation of 30,000+ jobs, but prolonged shutdowns of brewery taprooms and on-premise retail accounts during the COVID-19 crisis have left the industry facing immense challenges. As a result, Beer-To-Go sales, which would not be legal for Texas manufacturing breweries today were it not for the support of these legislators in 2019, are currently the only thing keeping many brewery taprooms afloat. 

As we look toward the 2021 legislative session and the Texas craft brewing industry’s recovery from this unprecedented crisis, CraftPAC is proud to endorse the following legislators who have stood by our industry in previous sessions and we look forward to their continued leadership in the Texas Legislature.

Senate

House

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On Saturday, June 15th, Governor Greg Abbott officially signed the HB 1545, the TABC Sunset Bill. Among the many positive reforms to the Texas alcoholic beverage code contained in the law, Beer-To-Go sales from manufacturing craft breweries will become legal on September 1, 2019.

The Texas Craft Brewers Guild was honored to welcome the Governor, as well as Senator Dawn Buckingham, Senator Brian Birdwell, Representative Eddie Rodriguez, Representative Chris Paddie, TABC staff, industry stakeholders, and members of the media to Austin Beerworks for this momentous occasion.

Check out the video below for a behind-the-scenes look at this historic event:

You can also watch video of the full press conference via Facebook Live HERE.

Thank you to our CraftPAC supporters for raising their voices this session and finally getting Beer-To-Go across the finish line! While we still have work to do to make Texas the best state for craft breweries, we took a giant leap forward this session and it was in no small part due to grassroots support for Beer-To-Go!

See you all at your local craft brewery on September 1st!

Comprehensive Bill Which Has Now Passed Both Legislative Chambers Contains Historic Gains for Texas Craft Brewers and Consumers


PRESS RELEASE:

AUSTIN, Texas (May 23, 2019) — In a landmark victory for the Texas craft brewing industry and craft beer consumers, substantial modernizations to Texas beer laws, including the ability for manufacturing craft breweries to sell Beer-To-Go, passed the Texas Senate Wednesday evening with a unanimous vote. Contingent upon the House concurring and the Governor’s signature on the bill, Beer-To-Go sales are expected to begin September 1, 2019.

“This legislation represents the most comprehensive and positive reform of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code in a generation, while serving the entire industry from the manufacturer down to the consumer,” Texas Craft Brewers Guild Executive Director Charles Vallhonrat said. “Brewers will see reduced regulation, the elimination of redundant licensing, and the ability to get product to market faster. Distributors and retailers will see a stronger market with even greater brand choice. And most importantly, consumers will enjoy the fruit of these improvements, including the ability to buy Beer-To- Go from their favorite brewery.”

Under the final Senate bill, patrons will be able to purchase up to 288 fluid ounces of beer per calendar day from a brewery’s tasting room. The allotment is the equivalent of one case of 12 oz bottles or cans— or—nine 32 oz crowlers.

Texas is currently the only state in the entire country to prohibit manufacturing breweries from selling Beer-To-Go. State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) and State Senator Dawn Buckingham (R- Lakeway) set out to change that this session by authoring companion bills HB 672 and SB 312, respectively. After both bills stalled in committee without being granted a hearing, the authors successfully attached Beer-To-Go amendments to the broader reforms of the TABC Sunset Bill, narrowly passing the House on April 25 before yesterday’s passage in the Senate.

Unanimous passage of both the Beer-To-Go amendment and the overall Sunset Bill in the Senate came after a stakeholder agreement was reached between The Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the Beer Alliance of Texas (BAT), and the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas (WBDT) compromising to reduce the per- person Beer-To-Go limit from two cases to one case per day. Texas craft brewers owe a debt of gratitude to Senator Brian Birdwell, Senator Dawn Buckingham, Representative Eddie Rodriguez, and

Representative Chris Paddie for their work bringing the industry, and in turn, the legislature, to consensus behind Beer-To-Go and other key aspects of the larger Sunset bill.

“For the first time in Texas, you will be able to take a little bit of your favorite craft beer home from a brewery to share with friends,” Senator Dawn Buckingham said. “This is a huge win for craft beer enthusiasts and also for the tourism it brings. This legislation will help Texans celebrate our great products and share them with the world!”

While not codified in the bill itself, the three trade groups also agreed in writing to a 12 year moratorium on lobbying to raise or lower the allowable malt beverage barrelage caps currently in code to ensure stability in the market and security in business models.

“This enshrines some of our most important rights and lets brewers plan their businesses without the fear of capricious policy change at the hands of other industry stakeholders,” Texas Craft Brewers Guild Legislative Committee Chair and Austin Beerworks Co-Founder Adam DeBower said.

Some of the additional modernizations to Texas beer laws included in the TABC Sunset Bill which will most impact craft brewers include:


• Harmonization of “Beer” (currently specified in the code as a malt beverage under 5% ABV) and “Ale” (over 5% ABV) into the single category of Malt Beverage. Eliminating this old-fashioned distinction allows for permit consolidation for manufacturers and one set of rules for marketing practices, storage, taxation, reporting, etc. rather than today’s disparate rules for the two categories.
  
• Adoption of the lower, “Beer” excise tax for all malt beverages. This harmonization will result in an excise tax reduction for craft brewers currently paying the “Ale” excise tax on the beers in their portfolios over 5%.
  
• Self-distributing breweries gain the right to have out-of-county warehouses for malt beverages which will allow them to serve greater areas of the state. Prior to this change, out-of-county warehousing of Ale (over 5%) has been prohibited.
  
• Comprehensive label approval reform so the federal COLA (Certificate of Label Approval) is accepted on the state level (as is currently allowed for wine and spirits in Texas, but not malt beverages). This streamlining will allow brewers to get fresh beer to market faster by reducing long wait times.

These reforms are poised to go into effect between 2019 and 2021. Texas craft brewers have been advocating for Beer-To-Go and the other reforms contained in the Sunset Bill for over a decade. The movement to #FixTexasBeerLaws gained tremendous steam in the run up to the 86th Legislature with the formation of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild’s political action committee, CraftPAC. Overwhelming grassroots advocacy led to over 15,000 petition signatures in favor of Beer- To-Go and thousands of Texans reaching out to their legislators directly via calls, emails, and social media to demand progress on this critical issue. This victory belongs to the thousands of Texans who have fought so hard for this moment.

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ABOUT THE TEXAS CRAFT BREWERS GUILD: 

The Texas Craft Brewers Guild exists for the purpose of promoting Texas craft beer, educating the public about the qualities and attributes of craft beer and advancing the common interest of Texas craft brewers. The Guild’s Board of Directors hail from craft breweries in all the major metropolitan regions of the state, as well as different brewery types and sizes to represent the Guild’s over 250 brewery members throughout the state, including operating breweries, as well as those that are in the advanced planning stages. The Guild also welcomes allied trade and retail members who support the craft brewing industry. To learn more about the Texas Craft Brewers Guild visit texascraftbrewersguild.org.

ABOUT CRAFTPAC: 

CraftPAC is a Texas-based general purpose Political Action Committee (PAC) founded by members of the
 Texas Craft Brewers Guild. It is a Board of Directors led organization formed to protect the rights of Texas craft breweries and champion common sense, 21st century legislative reforms. To learn more about CraftPAC visit http://www.craftpac.org.

Beer-To-Go passed the Texas House on Thursday, April 25 as an amendment to the TABC Sunset bill.

Here’s the Texas Craft Brewers Guild’s statement from Thursday night immediately following the big vote:

Today was a major victory. The Beer-To-Go TABC Sunset amendment passed the Texas House! THANK YOU to State Representative Eddie Rodriguez, a tireless champion for Texas craft beer, for fighting so hard to clear this milestone today.

We still have hurdles ahead in the Senate before Beer-To-Go can become law of the land, but luckily with our Senate Champion Dawn Buckingham leading the way.

Thank you to the thousands of you who have called your legislators, signed the petition, and stuck with us throughout this process. Please continue to stay engaged and involved! Onward!

Check out the press coverage below for more details!

Austin 360: Texas House OKs sales of beer, wine on Sunday mornings, plus beer-to-go

KVEO Brownsville: State of Texas: Amendment saves beer bill – for now

Austin Chronicle: UPDATE: Beer-to-Go Passes House but the Battle Will Rage On in the Senate

Newsweek: TEXAS MAY SOON START SELLING BEER IN THE MORNING

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Texas House OK’s earlier beer and wine sales on Sundays and beer to go from craft breweries

AUSTIN, Texas (February 13, 2019) — The Texas Craft Brewers Guild (TCBG), the trade association representing nearly 300 small and independent Texas craft breweries, and the Beer Alliance of Texas (BAT), a trade association representing malt beverage distributors across Texas,have reached a stakeholder agreement on SB 312 and HB 672, the bipartisan Beer-To-Go bills currently filed in the Texas Legislature.

With the endorsement of both the TCBG and BAT, soon-to-be-filed committee substitutes of both bills,  authored by Senator Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) and Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin), would, if passed, allow patrons to purchase up to 576 ounces (two cases) of beer per calendar day from a craft brewery tasting room for take-home consumption.

“I am proud to be part of a win-win agreement for every level of the three-tier system,” Senator Dawn Buckingham said. “This is a big step forward for small Texas breweries and the consumers who enjoy their products. I am grateful to both the Beer Alliance of Texas and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild for their willingness to reach a fair agreement for both sides of this important issue.”

Brewer-wholesaler unity on the bill is bolstered by support from both sides of the aisle. At their 2018 conventions, both Texas Republicans and Democrats included support for Beer-To-Go in their respective party platforms.

“Allowing ‘beer-to-go’ sales is a common-sense issue that both Republicans and Democrats agree on because it’s good for small business and has come to be expected by consumers,” Representative Eddie Rodriguez said. “Texans are incredibly excited about ‘beer-to-go’ as the public support for HB 672/SB 312 has shown, and I am glad that the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and the Beer Alliance of Texas have come to the table.”

In an effort to foster regulatory stability for the industry, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and the Beer Alliance of Texas have also agreed to refrain from lobbying to raise or lower allowable Texas malt beverage barrelage caps for a period of 12 years.

“The Beer Alliance of Texas has always worked to ensure a strong malt beverage market in Texas,” Beer Alliance of Texas President Rick Donley said. “We have committed to working with our friends in the craft-manufacturing segment on sensible regulations that provide for a stable and predictable three tier market in Texas that continues to be recognized as the gold standard for regulatory structures across the country.”

TCBG and BAT applaud Senator Buckingham and Representative Rodriguez’s commitment to setting craft brewers on a more equal playing field with Texas wineries, distilleries, brewpubs which are all permitted to engage in to-go sales as a brand-building, tourism-boosting opportunity.

“The Texas Craft Brewers Guild is proud to promote a sensible alcohol regulatory framework that encourages competition, consumer choice and access to market for brewers in our great state,” Texas Craft Brewers Guild Board Chair Josh Hare said. “We are excited to be working with the Beer Alliance of Texas to promote common sense regulations that ensure the beer industry in Texas will continue to thrive. We look forward to the opportunity to provide consumers with greater access to Texas made beer while ensuring a predictable and effective three-tier system.”

Key Points of the SB 312/ HB 672 Agreement:

● Retain the 5,000 barrel cap on taproom sales.
● Allow sales for off-premise consumption in amounts up to 576 fluid ounces per calendar day, per person.
● Any product offered for sale in the taproom which does not have an approved label must post in plain view the alcohol content of that product.
● The total amount of on and total amount of off-premise sales shall be reported (in barrels) to TABC on a monthly basis. The Commission shall hold the records for public review.

So far, more than 12,000 Texans have signed an online petition urging the Texas Legislature to pass Beer-To-Go this session. People who would like to join the cause can visit http://www.craftpac.org/action.

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ABOUT THE TEXAS CRAFT BREWERS GUILD:
The Texas Craft Brewers Guild is the not-for-profit trade association committed to advancing the common interest of Texas craft brewers. The Guild’s Board of Directors hail from craft breweries in all the major metropolitan regions of the state, as well as different brewery types and sizes to represent the Guild’s nearly 300 brewery members throughout the state, including operating breweries, as well as those that are in the advanced planning stages. The Texas craft brewing industry has a $5.28 billion dollar economic impact on the Texas economy, responsible for the creation of approximately 30,000 jobs.

ABOUT THE BEER ALLIANCE OF TEXAS
The Beer Alliance of Texas is a trade association representing malt beverage distributors across Texas, from the high plains to the coastal region to the Panhandle and West Texas to the Rio Grande Valley. The wholesale beer business employs more than 65,000 Texans with a $2.5 billion payroll, contributing almost $1 billion in state, local and federal taxes. Our members strictly adhere to today’s state-based regulatory model, including maintaining the three-tier system, while exploring new technologies and marketing to better serve the interests of Texas retailers and consumers in the malt beverage industry.

The following one-pager was distributed around the Texas Capitol today. Our suggested edits are in red.

Texas Craft Brewers Support the Filing of SB 312 /HB 672 Which Would Make Texas the Final State in the Country to Permit Beer-to-Go Sales From Craft Breweries

AUSTIN, Texas (January 8, 2019) — Texas State Senator Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) and State Representative Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) have filed SB 312 and HB 672, for consideration in the 86th Legislative Session. These important companion bills propose to legalize beer-to-go sales from Texas craft breweries, an issue which the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, along with its political action committee arm, CraftPAC, have strongly advocated for as a means of supporting small businesses, increasing consumer choice, and creating more quality manufacturing jobs for Texans.

As the only state left in America that doesn’t allow beer-to-go sales, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild applauds Senator Buckingham and Representative Rodriguez’s commitment to bringing Texas on par with the rest of the nation and setting craft brewers on a more equal playing field with other Texas alcoholic beverage producers.

“HB 672 corrects a glaring disparity in the state’s alcohol laws and gives Texans the freedom to purchase beer-to-go when they visit a local brewery…just like they can when they visit a Texas winery, distillery, or brewpub,” said Rep. Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin). “The fact is, 49 other states already allow consumers to purchase beer-to-go when they visit a local brewery…Texas should be a leader when it comes to supporting small businesses, not the last horse to cross the finish line.”

Current law states that Texas manufacturing brewers who produce less than 225,000 barrels of beer annually can sell up to 5,000 barrels annually of beer produced on the premises to tasting room visitors for on-premises consumption. SB 312 and HB 672 propose a simple addition to the current law to allow for on-premises “or for off-premises consumption” of these products. This change would not impact the overall quantity of beer brewers can sell from their tasting rooms annually but would give patrons more freedom to enjoy that beer either in the tasting room setting or back at their homes.

“As a promoter of a fiscally responsibly limited government, I believe Texas craft brewers should have the right to sell beer and ale to consumers for off-premise consumption — a privilege the state already provides to wineries, distilleries and brewpubs in Texas,” said Senator Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway). “Senate District 24 is home to many craft breweries, and with Texas being the only state in the country that does not permit off-premise sales at production breweries, I have filed SB 312 to encourage further economic development in my Senate District and to eliminate this unnecessary government overreach.”

In 2018, at the Texas Republican Party Convention in San Antonio and the Texas Democratic Party Convention in Fort Worth, both political parties included for the first time, rare, bipartisan support for beer-to-go sales in their respective party platforms.

“The fact that both parties expressed unequivocal support for beer-to-go in their 2018 platforms demonstrates the bipartisan, grassroots momentum surrounding this issue,” Texas Craft Brewers Guild Executive Director Charles Vallhonrat said. “This is something Texans care about and the more they continue to make their voices heard, the harder it gets for big beer distributors to ask lawmakers to defy the will of their constituents and vote against something that both major political parties, the brewing industry, and consumers support.”

So far, over 7,000 people have signed an online petition to urge the Texas Legislature to legalize beer-to-go sales. Texans who want to get involved in the fight to #FixTexasBeerLaws can visit craftpac.org/action.

The Texas craft brewing industry has a $4.54 billion dollar economic impact on the Texas economy, the equivalent of 53,000 full-time jobs.

After today’s hearing, the Commission’s recommendations will ultimately be crafted into a bill which will go through the legislative process during the 2019 session. Stay tuned to CraftPAC.org for legislative updates as we move into 2019.