Resolution To Increase Beer Tax Circulates In Eau Claire County

A resolution calling on state lawmakers to increase the beer tax for the first time in 45 years is being circulated in Eau Claire County.

The last time Wisconsin’s tax on beer was increased, Richard Nixon was president. Since then, the tax has been flat at 6.5 cents per gallon, the third-lowest beer tax in the nation.

Eau Claire County Board Supervisor Jim Dunning says it’s far too low when you consider all the county resources going into combating and dealing with alcohol abuse, such as county drug courts, treatment programs, even expanded jails. Dunning argues that all these are costs related to alcohol that are picked up by every taxpayer.

“That’s when we started looking into the tax,” said Dunning. “That’s the one way to get directly back at it and it went from there to creating the resolution with the money being strictly dedicated to issues that are related to alcohol abuse.”

Dunning’s resolution would call on state lawmakers to raise the tax on beer to $0.31 per gallon, the tax on wine to $0.84 per gallon, and the tax on hard liquor to just over $7 per gallon to match national averages. Also, he is suggesting a $1 excise tax on every drink served at a bar.

State Rep. Terese Berceau, D-Madison, was the last lawmaker to introduce a bill to raise the beer tax in Wisconsin back in 2009. She says while many citizens may agree with an increase, legislators, leery of the state’s alcohol lobby, aren’t likely to budge.

“I just don’t know if I’m going to be alive when I see an increase that will seriously address how much it’s costing all of us,” said Berceau.

The Wisconsin Tavern League says it doesn’t expect the resolution calling for a beer tax increase to get much support in Madison.