Sen. Dill introduces bill to support Maine beer industry

AUGUSTA — Sen. Jim Dill, D-Old Town, introduced LD 254, “An Act to Clarify Liquor Label Approval and Registration Requirements” today to the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. This bill, which seeks to align the text of the rules regarding alcoholic beverage labels with current regulatory practice and clarify how labeling rules should apply to kegs, faced a public hearing.

In his testimony before the committee, Sen. Dill stressed the importance of supporting the growing craft beer industry in Maine.

“Craft beer is one of the great Maine success stories of the past decade. Like many of you, I have several breweries in my district that weren’t there ten years ago,” said Dill. “This new, booming industry has brought with it good paying jobs and a host of new associated industries and businesses. It has brought economic development to rural communities and downtown areas across the state and is a natural extension of our culture of hard work and innovation.”

Dill went on to call the bill “a common sense measure that will promote innovation and growth within the Maine beer industry.”

Sen. Heather Sanborn, D-Portland, co-owner of Rising Tide Brewing Company in Portland, testified in favor of LD 254.

“Exempting draft-only products from registration would allow local breweries to experiment with new recipes more freely without having to register a new name for each batch,” said Sen. Sanborn in her testimony to the committee. “This will foster innovation while cutting down on unnecessary regulation that serves no consumer protection purpose.”

LD 254 faces further action in the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, as well as votes in the Maine House and Senate.