Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Hearing Wednesday for ABV bill

The Alabama House Travel & Tourism Committee is getting together Wednesday for public hearings on a number of alcohol-related bills, including the legislation that would raise Alabama's alcohol-by-volume limit from 6 percent.

According to the schedule at the Alabama Legislative Information System Online, the committee's set to meet at 1:30 p.m. in Room 123 of the State House (that's the big building with the dome on top). The hearing, of course, is open to the public, and citizens may testify in support of or opposition to the proposed laws being discussed. More info on attending committee meetings is available at the Legislature's online visitors' guide.

I expect there will be a number of people there to speak both for and against the ABV bill, HB196. If you want to make sure your view is adequately represented, I urge you to attend.

There are three other bills up for discussion at Wednesday's meeting.
  • HB64 would specify that only people 21 could patronize or work in private clubs. It also would set the legal age for possession of alcohol in dry counties at 21 - currently, for some reason (unchanged old law?), the the law sets the legal age at 19 in dry counties.
  • HB278 would allow for the licensing of wineries in any county where wine is legally available for purchase.
  • HB260 would spell out dates, times & other regulations for the sale of alcohol at state parks, resorts and other facilities.