All posts by John Stang

About John Stang

John Stang is a longtime journalist who covers Washington state politics. He lives in the Seattle area.
  • Wine industry advocates applaud 2-year trim in federal excise tax

    While it is up to individual wineries on how they deal with reduced federal excise taxes, industry leaders expect those savings to be reinvested in their operations. Changes in the federal excise tax on wineries went into...

    • Posted January 19, 2018
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  • Olympia gives Washington wineries more tasting rooms

    OLYMPIA, Wash. – A bill awaits Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature to increase the number of allowable off-site tasting rooms per winery from two to four under a domestic winery license in Washington state. The House in the...

    • Posted April 22, 2017
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  • Washington wine
    Most Washington wineries won’t need new wastewater permits

    OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington state’s proposed winery wastewater permit system is expected to be applied to only 19 percent of the state’s wineries. That figure comes from Tuesday’s release of the Washington Department of Ecology’s draft permit...

    • Posted April 12, 2017
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  • State working on winery wastewater permit system

    OLYMPIA, Wash. – Many questions are being tackled as the Washington state Department of Ecology puts together a permit system for discharging wastewater from wineries. Preliminary answers will likely be unveiled in mid-April when the state is...

    • Posted March 31, 2017
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  • 6 bills for Washington wineries alive in state Legislature

    OLYMPIA, Wash. — It appears that Washington wineries are on their way to being able to operate as many as four tasting rooms. However, prospects look grim for a proposed tax break for small wineries. Overall, nine...

    • Posted March 16, 2017
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  • Tax relief bill for small Washington wineries moves along

    OLYMPIA, Wash. — A bill is in motion to make small Washington wineries exempt from paying the Evergreen State’s wine tax. Senate Bill 5427 by Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, went to a public hearing Thursday in...

    • Posted February 16, 2017
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  • Bill in Olympia would ease laws on alcohol at movies

    OLYMPIA, Wash. — A bill is going through the Washington state Senate to allow more movie theaters to serve wine and other alcoholic beverages. Bill 5161 by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, would remove several restrictions on theaters...

    • Posted January 26, 2017
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  • State legislators hear Washington wine will be ‘bigger than wheat’

    OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state’s wine industry painted a rosy economic picture to the Washington State Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports Committee last week. “You’re telling me that that wine is gonna be bigger than wheat?” asked...

    • Posted January 23, 2017
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  • Seattle attorney Paul Beveridge, owner/winemaker of Wilridge Winery in Yakima, testifies in support of House Bill 1039, which would allow sales of growlers of wine in Washington state.
    Lawmakers weigh 4th tasting room for Washington wineries

    OLYMPIA, Wash. — There’s no opposition so far in Olympia after a state Legislature hearing to expand the number of allowable off-site wine tasting rooms in Washington state. The same could not be said about a bill...

    • Posted January 19, 2017
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  • Climate change presents possibilities, challenges for Washington wine industry

    Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part report on the influence of climate change and how it might affect the Washington wine industry. There are an estimated 80 acres of vineyards in the Puget Sound...

    • Posted October 24, 2016
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