Support Lift the Limit

Help support Lift the Limit initiative. Contact you state representatives and tell them to Lift The Limit. Below is the email that I sent. It is not the best, but feel free to use it.

Hi. I am contacting you to voice my opinion on the need to change the definition of BEER in Iowa’s Alcoholic Beverage Control laws. Currently, Beer is limited to 5% alcohol by weight. This is very antiquated and incorrectly classifies many craft and micro brews as liquor. This law forces beers with higher alcohol content to the state’s distribution system for liquor. While this system may work well for liquor, it does not work as well for beer. As it stands, the current legislation is both cumbersome and oppressive. Many breweries will not distribute their beer to Iowa because of this system. It is not uncommon for beer aficionados to stock up with craft beer when visiting Omaha, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Chicago, all of which have less onerous legislation for the distribution of beer. Iowa breweries and brew pubs are put at an unfair competitive disadvantage because of this legislation.

While I am not an attorney, I believe that revising this legislation would be rather easy. Chapter 123 of the Iowa Code deals with Alcoholic Beverage Control. Sections five and seven speak to the break point of alcohol that differentiates beer from liquor. Changing five percent to fifteen percent in these two sections would correct this archaic legislation. Perhaps there are additional sections of the Code that will need to be changed. Anyway, I am of the understanding that Iowa District 31 Representative Ray Zirkelbach will be introducing such legislation during this session.

Regards,

Randle Boyd