From Brewed and Never Battered:
Congrats to Brock Wagner, the folks at St. Arnold, and all the other Texas brewers, distributors and retailers supporting HB 602 which today passed the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee by a vote of 6-0. Next up is the Local & Consent Calendar Committee, which will place the bill on the Calendar for a vote before the entire house.
As far as HB 660 goes, we are still trying to arrange for it to be brought up for a vote before the committee. No further news at this time.
HB602 is Rep. Jessica Farrar’s bill, the compromise bill that even the beer distributors support. Farrar’s 2009 bill did make it out of committee, but not until May, and it died even before the Great Chubfest of 2009. Maybe this year it finally makes it, and if so it will be a big step forward. As always, now would be an excellent time to call your State Rep and State Senator and let him or her know that you favor a Yes vote on HB602. And HB660 too, if it ever makes it out of committee.