House passes ban on powdered alcohol, 42-24
The House has voted 42-24 in favor of the bill to ban powdered alcohol, HB 331a. Rep. Gayle Batt, R-Wilder, said the state Liquor Division already can decide which products are sold in the state. She cited an example: Alcoholic popsicles. “That was a decision made by the director not to carry those in Idaho – if you want them, you go to Oregon,” she said.
Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, the bill’s lead sponsor, said, “The department would like to have clear guidance on this from us in code.” He noted that 27 other states have banned powdered alcohol, now being marketed as “Palcohol,” and cited “concerns about its portability and use by minors in other settings in terms of surreptitious use.”
The bill, sought by the state Liquor Division, now moves to the Senate side. The 24 “no” votes came from Reps. Anderst, Barbieri, Batt, Boyle, Chaney, Cheatham, Dixon, Erpelding, Gestrin, Harris, Hixon, Jordan, Kerby, McMillan, Mendive, Monks, Nate, Nielsen, Palmer, Perry, Redman, Scott, Shepherd and Trujillo.