The Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee recently advanced measures to help New Jersey’s alcoholic beverage industry.
Three bills cleared the committee during an Oct. 22 hearing:
- A5611 would allow local alcohol manufacturers to be included on highway signs.
- A5527 would allow a brewery to claim a credit against the alcoholic beverage tax based on the dry weight of spent grain byproduct that is donated to commercial farms in New Jersey for agricultural or horticultural use.
- A1662 would allow certain winery license holders to sell wine produced by other winery licensees under certain circumstances and establish a supplemental wine production facility license.
The hearing includes discussion of challenges facing the industry, including falling sales at a time when manufacturing costs are rising. The committee heard from industry representatives who spoke in support of the bills and also provided suggestions for how legislators can further support them.
“We see the hardships this industry is facing, and we hear the concerns of those on the front lines,” said Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, the committee chair. “Advancing these bills is a step in the right direction, but it is only a step. It is up to us as legislators to keep delivering meaningful solutions.”
