Work is moving right along at the Capitol. The Senate heard more than 100 bills this week, leaving around 300 remaining to hear by our March 23 deadline. We’ve got our work cut out for us as this coming week will be a short one with Spring Break.

This year, I filed several more bills to continue reforming our liquor laws to better support the brewery and winery industries, as well as business owners. Five have already made it across the rotunda, including SB 155, which provides that retail spirits licensees may operate within a city or town with less than 200 people if they’re located within two miles of the city limits of a municipality with more than 20,000 people.

SB 791 provides that it won’t be considered inducement or a premium for a retail spirits licensee to have an advertised price posted higher online than the shelf price on the licensed premises.

SB 809 modifies the term “cocktail” or “mixed drink” as it relates to the Oklahoma Cocktails To Go Act to clarify that such drinks will not be limited to the examples provided by current law. This authorizes mixed beverage and mixed beverage/caterer combination licensees to provide curbside pickup and delivery. Customers are authorized to carry a sealed container from the licensed premises after purchasing a cocktail after being informed by the licensee that such a container shall be stored out of reach of the driver’s compartment.

SB 811 removes the requirement for the ABLE Commission to revoke the license of a retail license holder if it determines that the holder sold alcohol to a person under 21 years of age. The ABLE Commission shall have discretion as to whether the holder shall be subject to revocation or administrative fines.

SB 1032 authorizes holders of a caterer license to provide alcohol beverage sales to current applicants for a on-premises beer and wine license and mixed beverage/ caterer combination license.

Then I have five more bills that will be heard in the next two weeks by the full Senate, including SB 639, which defines hard seltzer and that such beverages will be taxed the same as beer. SB 800 authorizes any licensed winemaker and winery to distribute their own wine to a holder of a retail beer license, retail spirits license, mixed beverage license, beer and wine license, caterer’s license, special event license, public event license, charitable auction license, or brewpub license. Such authorized entities will elect to the ABLE Commission whether they’ll distribute through a licensed distributor or selfdistribute in a subject territory. SB 1035 limits the Tax Commission’s authority to audit any mixed beverage, beer and wine, caterer, public event, or special event licensee to determine if the correct amount of the gross receipts tax has been paid. I’ll discuss my other two bills next week.

Last Friday, I was honored to get to speak to the Leadership Oklahoma class in Pawhuska about tourism in our district. It was so nice to host and welcome these outstanding leaders from across the state to our beautiful district.

You can contact me by calling (405) 521-5581 or emailing Bill.Coleman@oksenate.gov.