I’m sorry, last time I checked, I live in America? Home of the free and land of the cold beer?
So the news of Tennessee lawmakers pushing to ban the sale of cold beer is not only shocking to me, it’s patently un-American.
Two Republicans, Sen. Paul Rose and Rep. Ron Gant, are the ones who are sponsoring and pushing the idea. The bill, SB2636, has already passed through first and second considerations. That means that the potential “cold beer ban” is now heading to be debated and amended at the committee level.
The wording of the proposed bill is below, and only needs to pass through the committee to head to a final vote:
“Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, a person or entity holding a beer permit issued under this chapter shall not sell refrigerated or cold beer at retail. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.”
Sponsors of the bill are saying that the goal of prohibiting cold beer sales is to discourage drunk driving and deadly crashes that result from them. It’s obviously illegal to drink and drive in the state of Tennessee, and certain lawmakers believe that stopping cold beer sales could in turn limit drunk driving incidents.
Gant explained the logic behind his proposal:
“A lot of times, in the afternoon especially, people get off of work, they’ve had a long, hard day, they want a beer. Many people go in and get a six-pack or a 12-pack and begin to drink it on their way home…
The first question you have to ask is if we know we can’t drink and drive and we know that’s the law in Tennessee. And if a driver cannot have an open container in the car, why does it have to be cold? Why can’t you sell it lukewarm to discourage drivers from getting that cold beer and drinking it on the way home?”
Obviously, the possibility of cold beer sales being outlawed has a number of different people outraged. Some retailers believe that the decision is an overreach by the government, while beer drinkers are mainly confused by the decision.
Room temperature beer would still be sold at stores, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that consumers will just refrigerate their beer when they get home, and could just as easily take it out in their cars from there. And have these Republicans heard of ice? Can they ban the sale of beer, ice, and a cooler together too?
If the plan of the lawmakers was to get a bunch of Tennesseans angered and upset, they’ve definitely managed to do that with their cold beer ban proposal:
I’d be more inclined to support a ban on the sale of warm beer.
— South Dakotans for RFK Jr (@SD4RFKJr24) February 15, 2024
I would consider it a crime against humanity if this were to be made law
— Bruce Leroy (Bruce Leroy) (@wntsumcumgitsum) February 15, 2024
These people hate America
— Caballero 🏹 (@HughAkston0) February 15, 2024
Tackling the pressing issues of our times I see.
— Sir Pumpaloaf (@Drownomatic5000) February 15, 2024
