WishkahRiver12

Have been in touch with Congressman Derek Kilmer's (D-WA) office about this. He and his staff will be visiting the distillery 6/5 to discuss further. I am urging him to become a co-sponsor. Here is his latest reply to my email request for support; Dear Joshua, Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 4083, the Distillery Excise Tax Reform Act. I appreciate you taking the time to reach out to me on this issue. Prior to joining Congress last year, I spent the last decade working in economic development for a living. When I worked at the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County I met with roughly 200 businesses a year to try to help them grow and succeed. The issue of tax fairness and regulatory certainty were continual themes in those meetings. It is critical that we reform tax policies that impede economic growth, ensuring we have a tax code that helps our small businesses succeed and encourages employers to invest in America. Rep. Christopher Gibson (N.Y.) introduced the Distillery Excise Tax Reform Act. The bill would decrease the excise tax on spirits from $13.20 to $2.70 per gallon for the first 100,000 proof gallons produced in the calendar year. When I served in the State Legislature, I supported a number of bills focused on helping our craft distilleries (defined by the Washington State Liquor Control Board as distilleries producing less than 60,000 gallons a year). I think this bill could be a real benefit to our craft distilleries, and I'm inclined to support it. I hope the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on this legislation so that we can see how to best support local distillery businesses. As the bill moves forward, I'll certainly keep your advocacy in mind. I encourage you to continue to share your views with me on this topic and any other issue. Thank you for reaching out. It is an honor to serve as your representative. Sincerely, Derek Kilmer Member of Congress