The Missouri House Health Care Policy Committee has approved a bill calling for an increase in alcohol taxes to pay for treatment, prevention, and law enforcement, the Jefferson City News Tribune reported Feb. 10.

The 7-3 committee approval was the furthest alcohol-tax legislation has progressed in years in Missouri, home to Anheuser-Busch. The bill next goes to the House Rules Committee, which will decide if the measure should go to the floor for a vote.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Bill Deeken (R-Jefferson City), would raise beer taxes from 6 cents per gallon to 24 cents per gallon, liquor taxes from $2 to $4 per gallon, and wine taxes from 42 cents per gallon to 78 cents per gallon. 

"The Republicans say they don't want to raise taxes -- everybody knows that -- and this year it's an election year and I'm getting Republicans to vote for it and I'm getting more support," Deeken said. "The thing that's really starting to shake people up is the children who are drinking ... We've got to educate these kids and we've got to help them, and I think that people are really starting to realize that this may be a tool that we can work with."

If the legislature approves the measure, it would still have to face voters in November. "It's not a done-deal," Deeken said. "It's just further than it's ever made it."