Bill to Raise Alcohol Limit on Beers Sold in Mississippi is Bottled Up in Senate Committee

Mississippians for Economic and Beverage Advancement (MEBA) is working to try to free a bill currently held up in the Mississippi Senate Finance Committee that would raise the alcohol by weight maximum in the state for beer from 5percent to 17 percent.

According to Craig Hendry, one of the founders of MEBA, the group visited the state capital this week to discuss the measure with lawmakers and even had a chance meeting with Gov. Haley Barbour.

Hendry reports the problem is that beer distributors in the state have lobbyists working to kill the bill. The tactics they are using include keeping it bottled up in committee and not allowing the full Senate to vote on the measure.

The group has launched an effort to get craft beer fans in the state to contact Sen. Dean Kirby, chair of the Finance Committee, and ask him to allow the bill to come up for a vote before it expires. Information on MEBA's activities can be found at http://www.meba.ms/ and http://www.msbrew.com/.