Good news: Keg ban is dead

That's according to Rep. Randy Hinshaw, D-Meridianville, who says, "That thing will not see the light of day again this session. I'll kill it myself."

Hinshaw said his subcommittee, which handles alcohol-related proposals for the House Tourism and Travel Committee, will instead work on a bill from Rep. Jamie Ison, R-Mobile, that would create a statewide keg registration system. ...

Ison's bill is designed to create a paper trail with each keg purchase to allow law enforcement officials to trace the purchaser of kegs found at underage drinking parties. As written, the bill would require a keg buyer to fill out a purchase form containing an identification number affixed to the keg. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board would work with retailers to coordinate the record-keeping. Ison pointed out that buyers typically already have to fill out paperwork when paying retailers deposits on kegs...

[The keg ban] bill would have restricted keg beer consumption to the property of the bars, restaurants or other locales licensed to sell it. It was first pushed by beer distributors in Alabama who said they are interested in limiting underage access to alcohol.

Many lawmakers have commented in recent weeks about the volume of calls they have received from angry constituents blasting the Senate's version as an undue restriction of individual rights.