June 09--A bill expected to boost the state's beer production is headed to the governor's desk after passing the Illinois House on Tuesday.
The House signed off on the bill 87-20 after the Senate passed it late last month. Gov. Bruce Rauner will have 60 days to sign, veto or amend the bill from the time it's sent to him.
"We're excited," said John Barley, co-founder of Solemn Oath Brewery and the president of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, which negotiated the bill with the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois.
"We've had no indication from the governor's office that this won't be signed. It's good for beer in Illinois, good for brewers, consumers and the distributorships."
The legislation allows breweries to make up to 120,000 barrels of beer per year -- more than most breweries in the state now make -- while operating as many as three retail facilities, such as brewpubs or taprooms.
Current law, which has been cobbled together over years of negotiations, limits brewers to 30,000 barrels of annual production if they own multiple types of breweries, and had knocked fast-growing breweries like Revolution Brewing from compliance.
For more background on the bill, click here.
jbnoel@tribune.com
