East Texas Lawmaker Sponsors Craft Beer Brewery Bill

Craft beer brewers are asking Texas lawmakers to expand the market for their products.

Owners of brewpubs and small breweries are scheduled to make their case Tuesday to the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce.

Republican Sen. Kevin Eltife of Tyler has filed bills that would let small breweries sell beer during tours and let brewpubs sell their beer in retail stores.

In a recent report, an industry trade group counted 37 breweries and 41 brewpubs in the state. They say the state's current alcoholic beverage laws give an unfair advantage to big national distributors.