COLD BEER
A battle is brewing at the Indiana Statehouse as lawmakers work to keep legislation alive that would address a legal loophole used by Ricker’s convenience stores to sell cold beer.
Both chambers faced a Wednesday deadline to make changes to bills before final votes. Any differences now would have to be ironed out in conference committees.
Convenience stores normally can’t sell cold beer, but Ricker’s built restaurants at two locations and obtained restaurant permits allowing cold beer sales. A House proposal would allow those sales to continue, but prevents other stores from following suit for two years. That gives lawmakers time to study the issue.
The Senate version would allow Ricker’s to sell until their alcohol permits expire. They could renew only if 60 percent of sales were consumed on-site.
CIGARETTE TAX
Public health advocates say they haven’t given up on efforts to get Indiana lawmakers to increase the state’s cigarette tax.
Raise It for Health campaign chairwoman Monique French said Wednesday that it’s one of the biggest steps lawmakers can take to improve the state’s health.
But a proposal to increase the state’s 99-cent-per-pack tax by $1 has run into stiff opposition.
Gov. Eric Holcomb doesn’t support it. Senate Republican budget writer Luke Kenley didn’t include it, even though the House budget proposal does.
Indiana has one of the country’s highest smoking rates, and advocates say research shows hiking the tax would lead to a drop in smoking.
French says public opinion research shows broad support for a cigarette tax increase.
Also from the Indiana Senate…the chamber has approved a bill allowing government agencies to charge $20 per hour for public records requests that take more than two hours to complete.
The measure by Republican Rep. Kathy Richardson of Noblesville passed the Senate on a 44-3 vote Wednesday.
Under the proposal, the first two hours would not be billed. After that, hours spent working to complete the request would come with a bill that’s the lesser of $20 per hour or the hourly wage of the employee completing the search.
The bill’s author says public records requests can take an excessive amount of government workers’ time.
Opponents disagree with charging for requests under open government laws. They point out that government employees are paid by taxpayers.