Attention Kansas Beer Activists: Contact Members of the House Taxation Committee

Dear AHA, BA and Support Your Local Brewery Members,

The Kansas Craft Brewers Guild (KCBG) has requested that you take action to oppose legislation detrimental to the State’s small and independent brewers and craft beer consumers. Please read the following information provided by the Kansas Craft Brewers Guild.

Please read the following information provided by the Kansas Craft Brewers Guild:

The Kansas Craft Brewers Guild is requesting that you immediately contact members of the House Taxation Committee and ask them to oppose any legislation which attempts to balance the State budget at a disproportionate expense to the brewers in the State of Kansas and the customers who enjoy the responsible consumption of their beers.

There is a strong possibility that the Committee will be considering increases to one or more of the alcohol taxes affecting Kansas’ brewers and beer consumers today. In response, the Kansas Craft Brewers Guild, representing the interests of the small, independent craft brewers in Kansas, submitted a letter to the members of the House Taxation Committee making the following points:

• Proposals to increase the gallonage tax paid by brewers when beer leaves the brewery would result in rates that are above the regional average, putting Kansas businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
• Increases in the gallonage tax, which come early in the supply chain, create a multiplier effect, increasing taxes and prices paid at every step of distribution.
• Proposals to increase the enforcement (sales) tax, which is already the highest in the nation, takes an already anti-competitive tax and makes its effect even more pronounced.
• Bordering states, which already have much lower tax rates, will benefit the most as Kansans in border cities and counties are lured across the state lines by lower prices. This is particularly true along the border with Missouri, where the sales tax rate is just over half that in Kansas.

Please take a minute to contact the following legislators and ask them to:

• Oppose any proposed increase on the gallonage tax on beer.
• Oppose any proposed increase in the enforcement tax.
• Support Kansas’ small breweries and the Kansans that buy their products, by not hurting these growing local businesses and citizens with tax increases that will make our breweries less competitive with those in neighboring states and drive consumers to shop across our borders.

House Committee on Taxation leadership:

Chair | Rep. Marvin Kleeb | 785 296-7680 | marvin.kleeb@house.ks.gov 

Vice Chair | Rep. Gene Suellentrop | 785 296-7681 | gene.suellentrop@house.ks.gov

Ranking Minority Member | Rep. Tom Sawyer | 785 296-7691 | tom.sawyer@house.ks.gov 

A complete list of Committee Members can be found here.

To identify who your Representative is, go to the Kansas State Legislature site and use the “Find Your Legislator” button on the left navigation bar.

Thank you for your prompt action in contacting legislators TODAY on this important issue.

Steve Bradt

President, Kansas Craft Brewers Guild

Free State Brewing Co.

KCBG- Kansas Craft Brewers Guild are the craft and microbrewers of Kansas. We are a diverse group that embraces the commercial operations and the home hobby artist brewer.

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Thanks for your support of Kansas small brewers.

Sincerely,

Charlie Papazian
President
Brewers Association

Bob Pease
Chief Executive Officer
Brewers Association

Gary Glass
Director
American Homebrewers Association

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