All right NJ folks, there’s an another upcoming vote on an important piece of legislation that could significantly improve the regulatory environment faced by NJ craft brewers.

If you like craft beer and would like to see more of it produced and sold in NJ, please contact the members of the NJ Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee by Wednesday, June 6, to let them know that you support the legislation as a craft beer consumer and ask them to VOTE YES on Bill A-1277.

Specifically, this bill would allow:

• One company to open more than two brewpubs
• Production breweries to sell beer for on- and off-premise consumption
• Breweries and brewpubs to conduct informational tastings off-premise
• Brewpubs to distribute beer through the wholesale network

More details are available on the Garden State Craft Brewer’s Guild website.

Here’s the email I sent out to the members of the committee.  Feel free to copy this, and modify it to your unique situation:

I am writing to request your support in passing bill A-1277.

Passage of this bill will ease the current regulations on craft beer production and distribution, regulations that make it very difficult for NJ craft brewers to compete with brewers from neighboring states.  As a result, NJ currently has only 20 active craft breweries, as compared to the 59 in New York and 42 in Pennsylvania.  Easing the current regulations will help small brewers continue to create jobs, improve tourism opportunities, and generate tax revenue.

Passage of this bill will allow me, a consumer of craft beer, to have better access to the locally-made craft beers that I love and want more of, and it will help keep more of my expendable income in my home state of New Jersey.

Thank you again for your time, and for your support.  Please feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions or concerns about the bill, and please let me know if I can be of help in any way.