Wilson Vetoes Bill on Labeling Beer

Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday vetoed a bill that would have removed the state’s alcohol content limits on beverages labeled “beer.”

State law says only products with alcohol content of 4% or less may be labeled beer. Brews with higher alcohol levels must be called ales, stouts, malt liquor or other names.

Wilson said the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), would have removed the public’s historic understanding of the relationship between alcohol content and beverage labels, without providing a way to replace that understanding.

“This bill would have the unintended result of repealing existing conditions on hundreds of stores in problem areas which presently cannot market malt liquors or other high-alcohol malt beverage products,” Wilson said.

“Another unintended result is to jeopardize the administrative driver’s license revocation of persons driving under the influence, based upon the charts distributed by the Department of Motor Vehicles,” he said.

But Wilson said he would instruct the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to come up with an alternative that would allow malt beverage producers to label their products as they please, as long as they also have a warning of their high alcohol content.

The bill passed in the Assembly on a 49-13 vote and in the Senate on a 21-12 vote.