Good news and a plea for help

From past postings, you likely know about Free the Hops -- a group dedicated to reforming Alabama's beer laws in such a way that will allow more specialty beers to be sold in the state. Despite stiff opposition, FTF finally succeeded this year in getting a bill through the House. That just left the Senate, which has been in a partisan snarl that has paralyzed almost every bill. The logjam now has broken and the FTH bill is coming up for a vote. From an email today:

HB196, the Gourmet Beer Bill, is up for vote in the Senate this week, most likely on Tuesday May 6th. Now is the time to call your state senator and let him or her know that you want HB196 to pass! Because the Gourmet Beer Bill has already passed the State House of Representatives, this is the final step before sending this bill to the Governor. It's very close, so please contact your senator to express your support.

That's the good news. Now the plea for help. If you are an AL resident (or you know some AL residents, other than me), please visit this website to find your state senator and call his/her office to register your support. FTF suggests the following polite protocol for doing so:

"My name is (your name) and I'm calling to let Senator (senator name) know that I support HB196, The Gourmet Beer Bill. I would like him/her to vote Yes on this bill. Thank you for your time. Have a pleasant day."

Remember, you'll be talking to an assistant who is NOT interested in debating the bill. Just state your position and let him or her be.

Could it happen? I wouldn't have thunk it, but maybe so!