One lawmaker wants to make beer cheaper in Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - One state lawmaker wants to make beer more affordable for Hawaii residents.

Rep. Kaniela Ing of Maui plans to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would cut the taxes on beer by the gallon.

The measure looks to reduce the beer tax from 93 cents per gallon of beer to 42 cents per gallon.

Why?

It's a matter of fairness between social classes and alcohol consumers, Ing says.

"Working people tend to drink beer more often than other types of alcoholic beverages. But today they are taxed more per ounce of alcohol than someone drinking wine. When you look at it that way, the current system is incredibly unjust," he said in a press release.

Ing, who says he isn't a frequent alcohol consumer himself, says the proposal isn't aimed at encouraging underage drinking.

"The goal here is to level out the taxes so that each type of alcoholic beverage is taxed equitably," he said.

In comparison to other states, Hawaii ranks 2nd for beer, 11th for wine and 23rd for spirits in regards to alcohol taxes.

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