Help support WA State Senate Bill 5060

[BDawg]

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 ... embers.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

[BDawg]

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

[BDawg]

WAHOOOOOO!!!!!!

It passed the Senate vote UNANIMOUSLY!!!!!!!
1/2 way there - now we gotta get it through the House.

[lucybear999]

Nicely done WAHA brewers!

Best Part of it was 100% support!

Bdawg should run for Governor, with those kind of results!

Time for a cold one....maybe soon I can take one to a neighbor....legally!

[BDawg]

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

[BDawg]

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

[BDawg]

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

[BDawg]

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
warnick.judy@leg.wa.gov

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