Draught law: House easily passes beer franchise bill

The taproom at Harpoon Brewery in Windsor. File photo by Dirk Van Susteren
Craft brewers are a commercial powerhouse in Vermont, with a collective economic impact that exceeds the maple syrup industry. But when it comes to renegotiating the terms of their contracts with distributors, brewers say they are hamstrung by decades-old franchise law.
A bill passed by the House last week seeks to change that by giving them significantly more negotiating power with distributors.
The existing statute requ