Update on the Beer Tax (HB 2461)

Based on the reaction to my first post and the storm gathering on the Brew Crew email list, I'd say the outrage to a proposed Oregon beer tax is already well-fueled. I was going to hold off on further posting until we knew more, but given how many of you have asked what we can do, I thought a comment on that point might be useful.

The best campaigns are those with some coordination, and I'm going to follow the lead of Brian Butenschoen, the Brewers Guild Director. He has been very good about assembling facts and key talking points. While I can imagine a number of immediate actions we might take, like sending letters to our legislators or setting up Facebook pages, I personally would like us all to be singing the same song. We don't want to inadvertently work at cross-purposes.

The legislative session won't end for several more months, and so far as I know, this isn't even on the radar yet. My recommendation: hold your fire for now, but be prepared to jump into action when the call comes. This thing is such a dud that I'm not too worried about its prospects. We can afford to see how things develop.