SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Brewery owners in New Jersey hit a setback in Trenton as Gov. Phil Murphy conditionally vetoed a liquor reform bill that would remove some menu and event restrictions.
The conditional veto adds a few more of Murphy’s ideas to the original brewery bill, which passed the Legislature in June with broad bipartisan support.
Murphy didn’t sign it because he wanted an overhaul of the state’s Prohibition-era liquor laws, but he didn’t get that done in time. The bill would have become law if he didn’t act.
Instead, he’s settling for a watered-down version of that vision. In addition to removing restrictions on the number of events that breweries can host or the food and drink they can offer on the menu, Murphy’s plan would also free up about 1,400 so-called pocket licenses, which have gone unused for at least eight years. And, shopping malls would get extra licenses based on square footage, allowing for booze to be sold in food courts.
The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Vin Gopal, said he and the Brewers Guild of New Jersey are disappointed. Gopal said the liquor laws are complicated and controversial, and he doesn’t think they should be connected to brewery rules.
“Completely different issue,” he said. “Breweries are small businesses. To limit how many events they can have or whether they can sell bottled waters and coffee, that was all pretty non-controversial.”
“While it wasn’t unexpected, it still is disappointing,” added Brewers Guild Executive Director Eric Orlando. “We feel like we got to the finish line of a race and the race just got longer.”
Lawmakers will have to vote to pass the amended bill or override the veto.
Breweries have been operating without those restrictions since the bill passed in June, but enforcement is set to resume on Jan. 1.