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State lawmakers have canned a proposal to raise the legal alcohol limit for beer from 12 percent to 18 percent in Ohio. The proposal was part of the state budget bill, but a conference committee on Monday night yanked the language from the final version.

The committee also pulled a provision that would have would have allowed breweries to open tasting rooms without purchasing a separate, costly state license. Right now, breweries are permitted to sell their beer to go. But people are forbidden to drink the beer at the brewery unless the business has purchased an additional $3,906 serving license. That has really stifled the ability by production breweries from opening tasting rooms.

Beer advocates have long considered Ohio's limit on beer silly, considering the alcohol content of wine and spirits. Wine usually is between 11 and 15 percent. Some highly coveted beers — such as Dogfish Head 120-Minute IPA at 15 to 20 percent alcohol and Samuel Adams Utopias at 27 percent alcohol — aren't sold in Ohio. Many surrounding states have no limit, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky and Minnesota, he said. Indiana's limit is 21 percent.

“There are so many outstanding craft beers we'd like to bring in that we cannot bring in because of the way the law currently stands,” Glen Brailey, owner of Spinoza’s Pizza & Salads in Beavercreek, told the Dayton Daily News. “We run into this issue time and time again, where we have all these outstanding beers that people all over the country can enjoy, while we in Ohio can’t.”

The Dayton Daily News has a story on the disappointing news for beer drinkers and brewers. To read the full story, click here.