Rep. Berceau and Sen. Risser Propose First Beer Tax Increase since Lance and Mr. Pterodactyl Were Born

Okay, so that wasn't really the headline:

Rep. Berceau and Sen. Risser Propose First Beer Tax Increase since Man Walks on Moon

Ha! That's a good one! Who says liberals don't have a sense of humor?

Oh, right, that was me.

They claim:

Legislation would minimally increase the beer tax, and use it to fund alcohol abuse prevention, treatment and alcohol enforcement

Suuuuuuure it will.

They're having a press conference on Monday...

...at which they will introduce legislation that would raise the Wisconsin beer tax for the first time in 37 years (the second time in 74 years) by a minimal 2.4¢ per 12 oz. bottle (for a total state tax of 3¢ per bottle). The approximate $40 million in new revenue would be allocated to segregated accounts for funding alcohol abuse prevention, treatment and alcohol enforcement throughout Wisconsin.

If they really believe that, they haven't read any of Governor Doyle's budgets.

They've even got a nifty fact sheet with lots of good stuff, including info on misuse of alcohol, which, I surmise, this tax is supposed to help prevent, even though it's so very very small. According to the release.

But I heard a new study put Wisconsin at only 6th in the nation in beer consumption (Berceau's fact sheet says we're 4th). Given that, is this really the message we want to send?

UPDATE - the Assembly Minority Leader, Rep. Jim Krueser (D-Kenosha) comes out against the beer tax!

Kreuser pointed to Wisconsin’s improving economy and increasing revenues as evidence that a beer tax increase is not needed to support an expansion in substance abuse treatment.

Quick, substitute the words "oil," "property," "corporate income," "hospital," and "home sales" for "beer" in that sentence!