(JUNEAU) - The Alaska House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 234 by a vote of 36 to zero on Tuesday, May 6th. Sponsored by House Judiciary Chair Rep. Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage), HB 234 establishes the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board under the Department of Public Safety.

“The ABC Board has significant investigative responsibilities, and should be under the Department of Public Safety instead of the Department of Revenue,” McGuire said.

Currently, HB 234 does not change the limit of how much beer that the holder of an alcoholic dispensary license may sell to a wholesaler; however, it does change inconsistencies in the laws that regulate brewpubs. HB 234 allows a holder of a beverage dispensary license to sell beer in quantities of five gallons a day or less to an individual who is present in the same location. Currently these five-gallon quantities, known as “growlers,” can only be sold on the same premises as where the beer is brewed. This change grants brewpub owners the flexibility to brew their beer in another location.

“If Alaska is going to foster a better business environment, it needs to understand the demands of the hospitality business,” McGuire said. “All these changes do is grant greater flexibility for Alaska’s brewpub owners to prosper in a reasonable manner.”

HB 234 is currently in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.

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