NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is in no hurry to sign legislation that passed unanimously last week to roll back restrictions on brewery owners.
The bill removes restriction on special events and allows breweries to collaborate with local restaurants.
Murphy says there’s a temporary solution in place while a bigger overhaul of the state’s liquor laws is being worked out.
“The ABC signed an administrative order which gives at least temporary relief for the next six months on almost all of the areas the breweries were asking for relief on,” he added.
Ultimately, Murphy wants comprehensive, board-based liquor license reform to be a part of the new bill.
Related
Brewers Guild Executive Director Eric Orlando eventually wants Murphy’s signature on the bill but for now, he’s satisfied with this as a short-term fix for the summer.
“In the State of New Jersey, we need a permanent one to give brewery owners in the state certainty about how they’re supposed to operate their businesses for the long haul,” Orlando said.
Brewery owners feel like hostages while this all plays out, but ultimately they believe this is a positive step.
“We hope he changes his mind over the summer and he actually signs the bill before the legislature returns this fall,” Orlando added.