Today was eventful for the HB 660 movement, and in a good way.
This afternoon, Joey Villarreal of Blue Star Brewing Co. and I met with Rep. Villarreal (no relation) and Rick Donley, lobbyist for The Beer Alliance, which represents some large distribution companies in Texas.
All along, I’ve stated how a discussion is in order to find middle ground and move forward with the progress of the Texas beer industry. Today, we found some of that middle ground. Contrary to how certain news articles may make Mr. Donley seem, he’s a quite reasonable man, and sees the benefits for everyone in a growing craft beer movement. I believe we have found an agreement that helps breweries grow, while handling the concerns of wholesalers. Look for an amended version of the bill in the next few weeks.
We are moving forward, and I believe we can get this thing done!
Around the Web
Reason Magazine has a blog post on the HB 660, and a number of lively comments on the issue. The prototype (read, not official and not approved) versions of Freetail logos make another appearance as well.
