This November, vote as if your life depends on it. If that's not enough — vote as if your BEER depends on it. This isn't a tongue-in-cheek effort to make voting as “cool” as drinking beer. We depend upon our elected officials to express our will through the legislative process. This dynamic applies to every aspect of our lives, and if beer is a convenient entry point into voting, then cheers!
In the run-up to the mid-term elections, here's a quick guide some of the issues as they relate to beer.
kAmkDA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mxDDF6k^DA2?mkDA2?mi r=:>2E6 r92?86k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mqC:67:?8k^DA2?mkDA2?mi %96C6VD 3C@25 4@?D6?DFD E92E 9F>2? C6=:2?46 @? 7@DD:= 7F6=D :D 492?8:?8 E96 4=:>2E6] xEVD 325 6?@F89 E92Ek^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC6DD96C2=5]4@>^a_`g^_`^_f^>2:?6\C6D62C496CD\6IA=@C6\=:?<\36EH66?\4=:>2E6\492?86\2?5\=J>6\5:D62D6^XQmkDA2?m4=:>2E6 492?86 :D H@CD6?:?8 5:D62D6 G64E@CDk^DA2?mk^2mkDA2?m[ ?@H 2k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2EFC6]4@>^2CE:4=6D^Dc`cff\_`g\_aeb\`]6A57nD92C6502446DD0E@<6?l:ah8`(a8)gF6vAz@+&rpgE#8}_;p;(6=h;?#b+@%G_|u(v#|q%\*f%)rD8a?%38:}h{>a~`ra3Jy86p;G`z@f`3sGKz&tJs=K"v)Bdh7w7_~5Herw@8BA*46D:Fwvrd{758vE9D7D&%\d28AD{\|*\'e32e|Hp&zI5@y~r:_%q@lQmkDA2?mDEF5J C646?E=J AF3=:D965 :? k6>m}2EFC6k^6>mk^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m=:?<D H2C>:?8 H62E96C E@ :?4C62D6D :? 366C AC:46D] %96 2C8F>6?E :D D:>A=6i 9@E H62E96C 564C62D6D J:6=5D @7 32C=6J[ E96 :?8C65:6?E E92E 7@C>D E96 32D6 @7 2== 366CD] s64C62D6D :? 32C=6J DFAA=J >62? :?4C62D6D :? E96 AC:46 @7 366C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw@H E@ '@E6i k^DA2?mkDA2?mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>2:?64@?D6CG2E:@?]@C8^Qm|2:?6 r@?D6CG2E:@? '@E6CDk^2m k^DA2?mkDA2?mAF3=:D96D 2k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>2:?64@?D6CG2E:@?]@C8^2DD6ED^D4@C642C5D^a_`g\>4G\D4@C642C5\(tq]A57QmkDA2?mD4@C642C5k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?mC2?<:?8 |2:?6 =68:D=2E@CDV DFAA@CE @7 2 G2C:6EJ @7 6?G:C@?>6?E2= :DDF6D] %96 |r' p4E:@? uF?5 E2<6D :E 7FCE96C H:E9 2 =:DE @7 6?5@CD6>6?ED @7k^DA2?m kDA2?mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]>2:?64@?D6CG2E:@?]@C8^6=64E:@?D^a_`g\6?5@CD6>6?EDQm42?5:52E6D 7@C $E2E6 @77:46k^2m[ =65 3J v@G6C?@C 42?5:52E6 y2?6E |:==Dk^DA2?mkDA2?m] rF>36C=2?5 r@F?EJ 6?5@CD6>6?ED 2C6 qC@H?:6 r2CD@?[ r2E9J qC66?[ q:== s:2>@?5[ q6?;2>:? r9:A>2?[ w62E96C $2?3@C?[ #636442 |:==6EE[ 2?5 {:?52 $2?3@C?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mxDDF6k^DA2?mkDA2?mi r:G:= {:36CE:6Dk^DA2?mkDA2?mk3C 4=2DDlQ<:I\=:?6\3C62<Q ^mk^DA2?mkDA2?mqC:67:?8k^DA2?mkDA2?mi %96k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]24=F]@C8^QmkDA2?mp>6C:42? r:G:= {:36CE:6D &?:@?k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?mWpr{&X “]]]H@C<D E@ 5676?5 2?5 AC6D6CG6 E96 :?5:G:5F2= C:89ED 2?5 =:36CE:6D 8F2C2?E665 3J E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? ]]]” xD E96C6 2 366C E:6\:?n *6D] %96 pr{& :D A2CE?6C:?8 H:E9 3C6H6C:6D 7@C E96k^DA2?m kDA2?m!6@A=6 !@H6C q66C x?:E:2E:G6k^DA2?mkDA2?m] x? DFAA@CE[ 3C6H6C:6D D:8? 2 A=6586 E92E 4@>>:ED E@ “6>A@H6C A6@A=6 H:E9 E96 E@@=D 2?5 42A24:EJ E@ @C82?:K6 =@42==J E@ AC@E64E 8C2G6 E9C62ED E@ @FC 4:G:= =:36CE:6D]”k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8@@57:C63C6H:?8]4@>^QmkDA2?mv@@57:C6 qC6H:?8k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m:D AC@5F4:?8 2 7:?6 sx!p[ C65@=6?E @7 4:ECFD[ 42==65 “k^DA2?mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8@@57:C63C6H:?8]4@>^A6@A=6\A@H6C\56D4C:AE:@?QmkDA2?m!6@A=6 !@H6C[k^DA2?mk^2mkDA2?m” 2?5 5@?2E:?8 `_ A6C46?E @7 E96 AFC492D6 AC:46 E@ E96 pr{&] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]J@FEF36]4@>^H2E49nGl7?&p(K_~A"4U2>AjD?Dl6>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmv@@57:C6 @H?6C s2G:5 #655:?8k^2m D2JD E92E QVk^DA2?mkDA2?m%:C6=6DD 677@CED :? 277:C>:?8 E96 AC@E64E:@?D 277@C565 3J @FC r@?DE:EFE:@? 2?5 3J E96 DA:C:E @7 E92E 5@4F>6?E E@ AC@E64E E96 C:89ED @7 2==V :D >J 72G@C:E6 BF@E6 :? E96 A=6586[ 2?5 :D E96 962CE @7 @FC DFAA@CE] %96 pr{& H:== 5676?5 2=>@DE 2?J@?6 :7 :E A6CE2:?D E@ @FC r@?DE:EFE:@?2= C:89ED] %92EVD 6IEC6>6=J ?@3=6]Qk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw@H E@ '@E6k^DA2?mkDA2?mi %96 pr{& 5@6D ?@E 6?5@CD6 DA64:7:4 42?5:52E6D] x?DE625[ E96J AF3=:D9 2k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]24=F]@C8^@E96C^=68:D=2E:G6\D4@C642C5\a_`gQmkDA2?m=68:D=2E:G6 D4@C642C5k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?mE92E C2?<D >6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96:C DFAA@CE @7 4:G:= =:36CE:6D] %96J 8:G6 $E2E6 w@FD6 #6A] qCF46 !@=:BF:? 2 f A6C46?E 2AAC@G2= C2E:?8[ H9:49 H6 C625 2D 2? 6?5@CD6>6?E @7 y2C65 v@=56?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mxDDF6k^DA2?mkDA2?mi %2DE:?8 #@@>D^{68:D=2E:G6 t?8286>6?Ek^DA2?mkDA2?mk3C 4=2DDlQ<:I\=:?6\3C62<Q ^mk^DA2?mkDA2?mqC:67:?8k^DA2?mkDA2?mi w62E96C $2?3@C?[ 4@\@H?6C @7k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^C:D:?8E:563C6H:?8]4@>^QmkDA2?m#:D:?8 %:56 qC6H:?8k^DA2?mk^2mkDA2?m[ $E2E6 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6 2?5k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^962E96CD2?3@C?]>2:?642?5:52E6]4@>^QmkDA2?mr2?5:52E6 7@C $E2E6 $6?2E6k^DA2?mk^2mkDA2?m[ C6>:?:D465 23@FE “k^DA2?mkDA2?m62C=J a_``[ :? E96 52C< 52JD @7 366C[ 3C6H6C:6D 4@F=5 @?=J @776C D2>A=6D :7 E96J H6C6 7C66[ 2?5 @?=J 2D A2CE @7 2 E@FC] (6 492?865 E9:D =2H :? a_`a 2?5 :E C6G@=FE:@?:K65 E96 :?5FDECJ] (6 H6?E 7C@> b_ 3C6H6C:6D E@ `bh[ H9:49 492?865 E96 7246 @7 |2:?6 366C 2?5 E@FC:D>] %9:D D9@HD 9@H :>A@CE2?E :E :D E@ ?@E @?=J G@E6[ 3FE E@ 6?8286 H:E9 J@FC {68:D=2E@CD] %96J 2C6?VE =:DE6?:?8 :7 J@FVC6 ?@E G@E:?8Pk^DA2?mkDA2?m”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw@H E@ '@E6k^DA2?mkDA2?mi $2?3@C? C64@>>6?5D F?564:565 G@E6CD 4964< @FE yk^DA2?mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH];2?6E>:==D]4@>^:DDF6D^3C6H:?8QmkDA2?m2?6E |:==DVD DE2E6>6?E @? 96C A@D:E:@? @? E96 :DDF6D E96 :>A24E |2:?6VD E9C:G:?8 366C :?5FDECJk^DA2?mk^2mkDA2?m]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mkDA2?m k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mxDDF6k^DA2?mkDA2?mi w62=E9 r2C6k^DA2?mkDA2?mk3C 4=2DDlQ<:I\=:?6\3C62<Q ^mk^DA2?mkDA2?mqC:67:?8k^DA2?mkDA2?mi p44@C5:?8 E@ $2?3@C?[ “k^DA2?mkDA2?m%96 4@DE @7 962=E9 42C6 :D 6>365565 :? E96 4@DE @7 J@FC 366C] xEVD 2 9F86 3FC56? @? E96 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D E92E AC@5F46 J@FC 72G@C:E6 366CD] '@E6 7@C 42?5:52E6D E92E H2?E E@ >2<6 962E9 42C6 >@C6 277@C523=6 2?5 2446DD:3=6 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 — :E H:== 92G6 2? :>A24E @? 2== @7 @FC 3C6H6C:6D]k^DA2?mkDA2?m” #655:?8 28C66D E92E 962=E9 42C6 :D 2 4CF4:2= :DDF6[ D2J:?8 “k^DA2?mkDA2?m|J H:76 2?5 x 2C6 A9JD:4:2?D[ 2?5 H6VG6 3@E9 H:E?6DD65 492?86D :? 9@H >65:4:?6 :D AC24E:465 :? |2:?6 :? C646?E J62CD] |2:?6CD 2C6 36EE6C @77 H:E9 2AAC@AC:2E6 2446DD E@ AC:>2CJ AC6G6?E2E:G6 42C6] %96C6 :D BF:E6 2 3:E @7 >:D:?7@C>2E:@? 4:C4F=2E:?8 23@FE 962=E942C6 @? =@42= E6=6G:D:@?] t?4@FC28:?8 A6@A=6 E@ G@E6 H:== 96=A 6?DFC6 2AAC@AC:2E6 =@42= C6AC6D6?E2E:@? 7@C :DDF6D 27764E:?8 |2:?6CD[ =:<6 |65:42C6 2?5 |65:42:5]k^DA2?mkDA2?m”k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmk6>m%9:D 2CE:4=6 92D 366? 65:E65 E@ C6>@G6 2? 6IA=:4:E 6?5@CD6>6?E 7@C 2 8F36C?2E@C:2= 42?5:52E6]k^6>m k^Am
