Politics

Home Brewers Legislation, 7 Other Bills, Signed Into Law By Mo. Gov. Nixon

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published June 12, 2013 at 5:15 PM CDT

Governor Jay Nixon (D) Wednesday signed eight bills into law that were passed this year by Missouri lawmakers.

One of them will be of special interest to beer lovers: Senate Bill 121 includes language allowing beer created by home brewers to be sampled and served free of charge at beer festivals. That provision also includes an emergency clause, meaning it takes effect immediately, just in time for the annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival that begins Friday. The language was crafted by State Senator Eric Schmitt (R, Glendale).

"Missouri, and St. Louis in particular, has a really proud tradition of brewing beer," Schmitt said. "It's part of our history and it's part of the fabric of what makes St. Louis, St. Louis."

Home brewers had been allowed to enter in years past, but St. Louis liquor officials ruled in 2012 that they could not participate. The bill also allows liquor to be served on trains while stopped, and will allow smaller excursion boats on Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri to serve alcohol. Those provisions, however, won't take effect until August 28th.

The seven other bills signed into law today include:

Senate Bill 33, expands the use of service dogs

Senate Bill 197, designed to combat the spread of tuberculosis

House Bill 315, deals with prescription refills on an emergency basis and other health care service issues

Senate Bill 36, modifies provisions related to juvenile offenders certified to be treated as adults

Senate Bill 72, designates May as Motorcycle Awareness Month and Dec. 4th as PKS Day

House Bill 133, regarding accreditation requirements for reinsurance companies

House Bill 656, combines St. Louis' parking enforcement and parking meter divisions into a single parking division

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Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.