This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A bill that would decrease the markup on alcohol and small brewers passed the House on Monday and now awaits the governor's signature or veto.
SB95 would cut the markup the state imposes from 86 percent to 64.5 percent on heavy beer and decrease the markup on spirits to 47 percent.
The bill's supporters tout the bill as promoting economic development because it will allow small, local brewers to better compete with large national companies.
House sponsor Rep. Melvin Brown, R-Coalville, called it an "agricultural issue," saying the bill he and Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich passed in an earlier session to reduce the markup on wine benefitted the vineyard industry.
"This is to incentivize a certain, specific kind of agriculture, the distillery agriculture," Brown said.
smcfarland@sltrib.com
