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Committee advances bill to add craft spirits and expand distillery sales
Summary
Senate Bill 2869, which expands the state's native distillery definition to include craft spirits and loosens distribution and tasting-room rules, was reported out of committee after discussion about tourism impacts and out-of-state shipping.
Senator Robinson, chair of the Senate Tourism Committee, presented Senate Bill 2869 and told the committee the tourism industry had a strong 2023 year, citing visitor and spending figures as context for the bill.
“This year we had 43,700,000 visitors, $11.5 billion in visitor spending, $17.5 billion in total economic impact and $1.1 billion in state and local taxes,” Senator Robinson said while introducing the bill, which would add “craft spirits” to the state’s native distillery language.
Under the bill as explained in committee, the measure would (1) define craft spirits within the native distillery statute; (2) allow native or craft distilleries to distribute to any licensed retail permittees in the state; (3) permit native or craft distilleries to maintain tasting rooms at secondary locations within Mississippi where sales are legal; (4) allow craft distilleries to participate in festival permits similar to wine festival permits; and (5) allow craft distilleries to sell other alcoholic beverages at their retail establishments.
Senator England asked whether the bill allows direct shipment out of state to customers; the transcript shows differing recollections in committee and the record does not definitively state whether out-of-state direct-to-consumer shipping is authorized by this bill.
The motion to report the bill out was called “titled sufficient to pass,” and the committee approved it by voice vote. The committee record does not show a roll-call tally or identify a mover and seconder for the motion in the provided transcript.
If enacted, the bill would change state law to broaden distillery privileges for craft producers; the committee discussion did not specify licensing fee changes, enforcement details or whether the bill would preempt local ordinances on tasting rooms and festival sales.
