Legalizing homebrewing, of course.

The Alabama Senate tonight gave final passage to the homebrewing bill, possibly ending Alabama’s status as the only state in which homebrewing is still illegal.

“Alabama is literally the last state that makes homebrew legal, assuming the governor signs it,”said Sen. Bill Holtzclaw,R-Madison.

The Alabama legislature was, of course, controlled by the Democratic party until the historic elections of 2010; homebrewing enthusiasts have been fighting for years to get the hobby legalized, but pretty much went nowhere until this current session**.  There’s every expectation that the governor will sign this legislation (which does not supersede individual areas that are still ‘dry’).  I applaud this development, and only wish that previous (Democratic, remember) legislatures had embraced the future earlier.

Via:

Senate gives final passage to homebrew bill blog.al.com/wire/2013/05/s…

— Jeff Emanuel (@jeffemanuel) May 8, 2013

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Please note that legalization of homebrewing nationally was in fact done by Democratic President Jimmy Carter; it may be a lonely checkmark on the plus side of his Presidential List of Deeds, but it exists.

**This will be where Democratic apologists are most likely to whine that the GOP did not immediately act to repeal this law.  …True. These things take time, after all. But, let’s face it: if the Alabama legislature was still Democratic-controlled this law would never have been passed.

[***I have had it made known to me that there is some controversy whether the word is ‘Alabaman’ or ‘Alabamian.’  I remain neutral in this dispute.]