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Offline RandyMarshCT  
#21 Posted : Thursday, March 20, 2014 3:28:56 AM(UTC)
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Alli,
Reviving this thread in lieu of the advent of the Hobby Distillers Association. Since this will (hopefully) be the hardest push yet, I think it's very important for the topic to be fresh in lawmakers' minds.

I (priority) mailed the whitepaper from John Barleycorn along with my cover letter to:

Senate: Richard Blumenthal & Christopher Murphy
House: Joe Courtney
Governor: Dan Malloy

I mailed them yesterday. Next week I'll start contacting them by phone and email requesting responses. If I don't get any, I'll mail them again until I do.
Offline Alli  
#22 Posted : Thursday, March 20, 2014 4:50:15 AM(UTC)
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RandyMarshCT,
Great idea. Lets restart the contact list so we can send it to the lobbyist.

Tom
Offline dasorge  
#23 Posted : Monday, March 24, 2014 11:24:46 AM(UTC)
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My wife and I have visited a few wineries in the eastern part of the state here within the past few weeks. The "wine masters" are surprised at some of the questions I ask them such as yeast used, fermentation temps, starting SG, ending SG and such. I've been reluctant to tell them what my "hobby" is yet my wife pushes it. Anyway, I've been told that here in the Cornhusker State, distilling is legal on the small scale. I have yet to verify this with the state. I'm thinking those that have told me it's legal assume that one has a permit for 'fuel use' distilling. After sending all the proposals to my Senators in Washington, I heard from an aide of one them. They told me it's a state issue and I need to contact my state reps in our legislature. Problem I have now, it the session is almost over so nothing can be submitted. I plan on contacting my rep to see what is going on and if he can do something on the state level to get something legalized on the state level.

shall keep you posted
Offline John Barleycorn  
#24 Posted : Monday, March 24, 2014 11:46:40 PM(UTC)
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"
Originally Posted by: dasorge Go to Quoted Post
After sending all the proposals to my Senators in Washington, I heard from an aide of one them. They told me it's a state issue and I need to contact my state reps in our legislature.

That's downright disrespectful! Call them right back and tell them that it is a federal issue and that you expect a much better answer than that if they want your vote. Ask them if they would support legislation that would legalize hobby distilling or if they would oppose it. That's all you need to know.

Your tax money is paying their salaries ... and the best they could do was brush you off ??? ... either by lying to you, or just ignoring you? That's bull$hit. They apparently didn't care enough to even try to understand the issues. I would definitely express my displeasure with a vote for the other guy in the next election."
Offline Alli  
#25 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2014 6:16:17 AM(UTC)
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Dasorge,
John took the words right out of my mouth. You were dealing with a lazy, good for nothing federal employee. Like John said, call them back and get mad if you have to. I agree with your wife. Be honest about your hobby. What the hell are they going to do about it? They work for you!

Now about the legality in Nebraska. It is illegal, period, to distill any amount of alcohol without a permit. The distillery permit in your state costs $1000. That is in the middle of the road range for state permits. Your state has no micro or craft distillery permits which are typically far lower than the standard permit.

Please join Hobby Distiller's Association. We are taking the fight to congress in DC. We will work on the states once we get the federal laws changed. Thanks for the note. Tom
Offline dasorge  
#26 Posted : Monday, March 31, 2014 2:02:12 PM(UTC)
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I know it's illegal everywhere to distill. Part of my problem is that my House Rep is up for re-election and the "&%$*##&" hasn't answered any of my phone calls or letters to him. You know where my vote is not going this year! The response I got was from my Senate Rep. I'm wondering if this being an election year if anyone up for election will listen to us. I'll join the Hobby Distillers Association -- it's a great cause and I am passionate for what we do to keep the heritage alive!
Offline RCRed  
#27 Posted : Tuesday, April 01, 2014 3:56:15 AM(UTC)
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Aside from the Federal laws. Missouri allows home distilling as well as some other states as well. This does not supersede Federal law, but at least at the state level there is no criminality in those states.
Offline John Barleycorn  
#28 Posted : Tuesday, April 01, 2014 4:39:12 AM(UTC)
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"I've been slowly working my way through individual state laws, one-by-one. Clearly, in states like Missouri, folks there will be 100% legal once the federal laws are changed. There may be other states that become 100% legal as well due to the language in the state codes, such as New York (and perhaps more):

N.Y. ABC LAW
Quote:
§ 150 : NY Code - Section 150: Definitions (emphasis added)
Whenever used in this article only, unless the context requires otherwise: 1. ""Illicit alcoholic beverage"" means and includes any alcohol or distilled spirits owned, manufactured, distributed, bought, sold, bottled, rectified, blended, treated, fortified, mixed, processed, warehoused, possessed or transported on which any tax required to have been paid under any applicable federal law has not been paid.

§ 153 : NY Code - Section 153: Stills and distilling apparatus (emphasis added)
Any person who shall manufacture any illicit alcoholic beverage or who, not being duly licensed as a distiller under the provisions of the alcoholic beverage control law, shall own, operate, possesses or have under his control any still or distilling apparatus is guilty of a felony. ""Still"" or "" distilling apparatus"" shall mean any apparatus designed, intended, actually used, or capable of being used for or in connection with the separating of alcoholic or spirituous vapors, or alcohol or spirituous solutions, or alcohol or spirits, from alcohol or spirituous solutions or mixtures, but shall not include stills used for laboratory purposes or stills used for distilling water or other nonalcoholic materials where the cubic capacity of such stills is one gallon or less. Provided, however, that it shall not be unlawful for any person to own, possess or have under his control any still or distilling apparatus (a) where the same has been duly registered in compliance with or has otherwise complied with the provisions of federal law and regulations issued pursuant thereto, or (b) where the same is not required to be registered under federal law, or (c) where the same is in the possession of a duly qualified manufacturer of stills under federal law. The unlawful ownership, operation, possession, control or use of any still or distilling apparatus or illicit alcoholic beverage is a nuisance, and each such still and distilling apparatus and illicit alcoholic beverage is hereby declared to be a nuisance, and when any such still or distilling apparatus or illicit alcoholic beverage shall be taken from the possession of any person, the same shall be surrendered and forfeited to the sheriff of the county wherein the same shall be taken, except that in a city having a population of seventy-five thousand or more, the same shall be surrendered and forfeited to the police commissioner or other head of the police force or department of said city and except that in the county of Nassau, the same shall be surrendered and forfeited to the commissioner of the county police department.


So getting the federal laws changed will have an immediate effect in some states. Perhaps once we figure out which states will see an immediate benefit, we'll know where the effort may find a stronger level of support."
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