It was heartening, on balance, to see some good news coming out of Tallahassee the other day when Gov. Rick Scott signed into law a measure that legalizes 64-ounce growlers. It’s considered a win for this state’s craft beer association, the Florida Brewers Guild, and that’s good for Tampa, rapidly morphing into craft-beer preeminence. The law also allows breweries to obtain up to eight vendor licenses and to open tasting rooms.
Put in context, however, it’s a reminder that the bar, so to speak, is embarrassingly low for meaningful legislation.
Much more pressing public policy issues were neutralized by a dysfunctional Legislature. Scott signed SB 186 into growler law, but nothing on such serious priorities as health care, the environment, energy, medical marijuana, prison reform and gambling. That’s what the Do-Nothing Legislature walked out on. Anyone want to drink to that?