Riley should sign [AL] beer bill

Source

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Huntsville Times

Gov. Bob Riley has before him, if you will, a heady issue to decide. Will he allow stronger beers to be sold in Alabama as provided for in a bill passed by the Legislature this session? As of Wednesday afternoon, there was no word either way. Riley could sign the bill, veto it or let it die without his signature.

The measure would allow beer with an alcohol content of 13.9 percent to be sold in the state. The upper limit now is 6 percent.

Such a bill has been pushed for several years by a group called "Free the Hops" - beer connoisseurs who say Alabama is behind the times. The beer they want, they say, is not only stronger but of higher quality, and it can carry a much higher price.

Riley recently signed a bill allowing groceries stores to sell stronger wine. The new limit is now 16.5 percent as opposed to the old limit of 14.9. Stronger wine could be sold before but not in grocery stores.

Even so, nowhere in Alabama is beer with an alcohol content greater than 6 percent lawful to sell. Thus, beer lovers willing to pay are driving out of state to buy their brews, some of which are imported.

Like the new wine law, the beer proposal would not allow the stronger beverages to be sold in convenience stores. That should discourage some underage drinkers from trying to purchase either product. In addition, the higher price of the so-called gourmet beers would almost certainly discourage consumption by teen-agers.

In addition, Alabama already has a number of both private and state-owned liquor stores where hard liquor of 86 proof or higher is sold daily. Singling out beer for special restrictions seems ineffective.

And it's bad fiscal policy. The state is losing an undetermined amount of taxes each year to beer drinkers who drive to Tennessee or other states to make purchases. At the same time, income from sales is diverted to those other states and doesn't end up in the cash registers of Alabama businesses.

This is not to suggest that Alabama roll back its drunken-driving laws. But it's unlikely that people who habitually drive while intoxicated are the same people willing to pay $15 or more for a six pack of beer.

Alabama's current law reflects the concerns of another time. Gov. Riley should sign the stronger-beer bill into law.

By John Ehinger, for the editorial board. E-mail: john.ehinger@htimes.com