Oregon Public Broadcasting

Lawmakers will debate raising the nation’s lowest beer tax on Monday in Salem.

Ethan Lindsey reports.

Portland Democrat Ben Cannon introduced the measure in the House Revenue committee.

Democrats say in a year of major budget cuts, the state needs to look all over for new sources of revenue.

The state’s beer tax is less than a penny for a pint of beer – an amount unchanged since 1977.

Many of the state’s microbrewers say they will be in Salem for the debate.

They say the low tax helps encourage the region’s notoriety as “beervana” – the center of craft brewing.

Some brewers say the proposed tax hike would increase the price of a glass of beer by more than a dollar.

Lawmakers, including Cannon, say the tax would only amount to about 15-cents more per glass.

This is the first public hearing for the beer tax. But a vote on the measure could be held off until after the May budget forecast is released.