California Assembly Bill ACR32 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 32AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 16, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bloom FEBRUARY 25, 2015 Relative to California Craft  Brewery   Beverage  Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 32, as amended, Bloom. California Craft  Brewery   Beverage  Month. This measure would proclaim the month of April 2015 as California Craft  Brewery   Beverage  Month. Fiscal committee: no.  WHEREAS, A craft involves skill to make things by hand; and   WHEREAS, A beverage is a drink, especially one other than water; and  WHEREAS, California is the birthplace of the craft brewing movement, when Fritz Maytag acquired the Anchor Brewing Company in 1965 and began brewing authentic handcrafted beers; and WHEREAS, California is the home of the first microbrewery, beginning with Jack McAuliffe who built a small brewery in Sonoma from scratch, and began selling New Albion ales in 1977; and  WHEREAS, The second largest craft brewer in the country, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, was founded in Chico, California, in 1979, and spurred the craft brewery movement around the country; and  WHEREAS, In 1982, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 3610 to amend the state's tied-house laws to remove the restriction on on-premises sales of craft beer. Following this change in law, California became home to three of the first five brewpubs in the United States; and  WHEREAS, The second brewpub in the United States was opened by the Mendocino Brewery in Hopland, California; the third brewpub, opened in September 1984, was Buffalo Bill's in Hayward, California; and the fifth, opened by John Martin in March 1986, was Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, California; and  WHEREAS, In  2012,   2014,  the California craft brewery industry had an annual impact of  $4.7   $5.5  billion on the state's economy; and WHEREAS,  As of the end of 2012,   In 2014,  the California craft brewery industry supported more than  45,000   50,000  jobs, which in turn create billions of dollars in positive economic impact; and  WHEREAS, The California craft brewery industry creates more revenue for the state and federal governments than many other industries, generating more than $850 million in federal, state, and local revenues in 2012; and   WHEREAS, California now has more breweries than any other state in the country, and in fact has more than twice as many craft breweries as the state within the next highest number, Colorado. The current count numbers more than 440 small, independently owned craft breweries. An average of one in every five craft beers produced in the United States comes from California; and   WHEREAS, California is now known and recognized internationally for the quality of its craft breweries. Year after year, Californian breweries win more medals at the World Beer Cup, the largest international beer competition in the world, and the Great American Beer Festival, the largest beer competition in the United States, than breweries found in other states; and   WHEREAS, California has more than 520 small, independently owned craft breweries; and   WHEREAS, An average of one in every five craft beers produced in the United States is from California; and   WHEREAS, Small, family-owned wine producers represent the largest number of licensed wineries in the state and nation; and   WHEREAS, Family Winemakers of California was founded in 1990 to provide a small producer perspective on public policy matters; and   WHEREAS, Family Winemakers of California advocates the rights and interests of its members to freely produce, market, and sell their products, and is dedicated to preserving the diversity of California wine; and   WHEREAS, Family Winemakers of California was instrumental in opening the United States wine market to California wine by direct-to-consumer sales through a sustained litigation campaign that led to the United States Supreme Court's Granholm v. Heald (544 v.s. 460) decision; and   WHEREAS, The Family Winemakers of California are affiliated with WineAmerica to establish a channel for input on national issues and generate unity among small producers and growers across the United States; and   WHEREAS, The Family Winemakers of California now have 425 small, independently owned wineries, which add to the prestige of California wine and are a significant part of the more than $60 billion state wine industry; and   WHEREAS, The California Artisanal Distillers Guild empowers California's craft distillers through protection, education, and communication; and   WHEREAS, The guild's member companies have a strong commitment to promoting the responsible consumption of alcohol as well as fighting underage drinking and drunk driving. This is accomplished through responsible advertising, strict codes of conduct, and other initiatives that educate the public on common-sense guidelines for drinking and set an example of moderation to our youth; and   WHEREAS, The mission and goals of the guild are to protect and promote the art and craft of small-batch and artisanal distilled spirits making, enhance consumer awareness of California craft-made spirits, and work to grow and ensure the long term health of our industry; and   WHEREAS, The California Artisanal Distillers Guild supports California alcohol wholesalers and distributors who promote California craft-made spirits and the importance of California's role in the beverage industry, support the California Visitation and Tourism Industries, support California Small Business, support "Buy Local" Groups and Programs in California, support the California Farming Industry, support California suppliers of raw materials and packaging products, and support California restaurants, bars, and retail outlets who carry and promote California craft-made spirits; and  WHEREAS,  Brewery   Beer, wine, and distilled spirits  tourism is increasingly popular and contributes to the economic impact of the state's tourism industry; and WHEREAS, The California craft  brewing   beverage  industry is a leader in the stewardship of natural resources and the environment and has made a major commitment to implement sustainable practices that are environmentally sound, including some of the largest solar arrays in the private sector, and the use of fuel cells and other innovative conservation techniques and processes; and WHEREAS, Despite the challenges of intense global competition, the state's craft  brewery   beverage  industry is strong and growing, and is a major contributor to the economic vitality of California; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month of April 2015 as California Craft  Brewery   Beverage  Month; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.