STAND. COM. REP. NO.245

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 1067

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1067 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LIQUOR TAX LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to redefine "cooler beverage" to mean any liquor that when combined with fruit juice and other flavorings contains less than seven percent alcohol by volume. Current law limits this category to beverages whose liquor content derives from wine or malt beverages.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States testified in support of the bill. The Departments of Taxation and Health testified against this measure. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Wine Institute commented on the bill.

After further consideration, your Committee has amended the bill to delete the category of "cooler beverage." Your Committee agrees with the Department of Health that having such a category targets younger consumers who may have less regard for the alcoholic content of the beverage, buying it because of its similarity to soft drinks.

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1067, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1067, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair