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Ohio lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that removes the state's alcohol limit for beer, allowing beers greater than 12 percent alcohol by volume to be brewed and sold in the Buckeye State.

(Marc Bona, cleveland.com)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A bill eliminating Ohio's alcohol limit for beer is on its way to Gov. John Kasich.

Currently, beer brewed and sold in Ohio is limited to 12 percent alcohol by volume, a number breweries and craft brewers have lobbied lawmakers to raise for years. Language removing that cap was added last week to House Bill 37, which allows market shoppers to drink beer and wine.

The Ohio House on Wednesday approved the revised bill in a 88-9 vote. The Senate previously approved the bill and it now goes to Kasich for his signature. A Kasich spokesman said Wednesday the governor has not yet reviewed the legislation.

Rep. Mike Duffey, a Columbus-area Republican who sponsored the bill, said the change will help local businesses.

"Laugh if you will but craft beer is considered to be an art form," Duffey said, including "high-gravity" beers with more than 13 percent alcohol by volume.

The bill requires all beer packaging to label the alcohol percentage and beer greater than 12 percent alcohol by volume would also be labeled "high alcohol beer."

"This is not a cheap beer. This is not a cheap way to get drunk," Duffey told his colleagues on the House floor. "It's a sipping beer and it's essentially an extension of an art form."

Rep. Dan Ramos, a Lorain Democrat, has introduced several bills raising the cap, which was raised from 6 to 12 percent in 2002. Ramos pointed to Ohio's alcohol limits as a reason Stone Brewing chose to expand in Virginia instead of Ohio.

"As local breweries and brewpubs continue to pop up across our state, it's important that we level the playing field to let small business owners and brewers compete nationally," Ramos said.

Mary MacDonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, which advocates for the state's craft brewers, remained pleased with the legislative developments.

"Since we've been talking about it for two and half years now," she said, "it's exciting it did move this fast."

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