Nearly half the cost of brewing at the fledgling Henniker Brewing Co. goes toward state and federal taxes, founder Dave Currier said. But Rep. Annie Kuster has recently been touring local breweries like Currier’s and touting legislation that could cut federal excise taxes in half for small breweries in their first years of business. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster is co-sponsoring legislation aimed at boosting business for New Hampshire’s 26 craft beer brewers. The bill would drop the federal excise tax from $7 to $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels of beer for breweries that produce fewer than 6 million barrels per year. Read more »

Matching the need for skilled workers from the state’s manufacturers with job seekers was the topic of conversation for a panel discussion with Congresswoman Annie Kuster that took place Thursday at Omni Components in Hudson. The event, billed as a 21st Century Workforce Roundtable, featured representatives from New Hampshire companies who spoke about techniques that were working for their firms and shared how those techniques could be improved. Read more »

At an event in West Lebanon, N.H. Wednesday, Congresswoman Annie Kuster suggested the federal government could do more to help craft breweries grow. The first-term Democrat toured the Seven Barrel Brewery, talking about legislation she signed onto that would cut in half the current $7 per barrel federal excise tax small brewers pay. A craft producer's first 60,000 barrels a year, which is more than many brands turn out, would qualify for the savings. "This is money that they can reinvest back into the brewery; they can invest in hiring," said Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H. "For the brewers I've talked to, this will make a difference for them." Read more »

The National Security Agency crossed a line when it secretly tapped into data centers operated by Google and Yahoo, and the government program needs to be reined in, U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster said Wednesday. “It just went way beyond what most people’s expectations for privacy are in this country, and I think, despite people’s best efforts to protect privacy, things had developed to a place where the American people now want to have a debate and have a conversation,” Kuster, D-N.H., said outside the Seven Barrel Brewery in West Lebanon, where she was promoting an economic development bill aimed at helping small brewers. Read more »

For two decades, a local company has made its mark around the world by capturing goofy, memorable images of people on film. Couples, teenagers and families in 30 countries have hammed it up and posed for photographs in Innovative FOTO’s specially designed booths. So when Congresswoman Ann Kuster, D-N.H., visited the small company on Industrial Way yesterday, she couldn’t resist posing as well. Read more »

At first glance, photo booths might seem like a relic from a bygone era. But for the past 15 years, Salem-based Innovative FOTO has used the latest technology and marketing strategies to bring photo booths to malls, casinos, movie theaters and weddings around the globe. On Monday morning, Congresswoman Annie Kuster visited the Innovative FOTO headquarters to tout the success of and push for the renewal of the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program that helps small businesses expand internationally. Read more »

With the state and federal tax burden weighing in at more than $16 per barrel, small breweries are struggling to find a foothold in New Hampshire, but Rep. Annie Kuster, D-NH, said a new bill in the U.S. House could help give local beer producers a fighting chance. On Thursday, the District 2 congresswoman toured the Henniker Brewing Co. with owner David Currier to promote the bill that would cut the federal excise tax in half, from $7 to $3.50 per barrel. The Small BREW Act would reduce the federal tax burden on the first 60,000 barrels produced by breweries that make less than 6 million barrels per year. Read more »

Henniker Brewing Company is a little more than a year old, and this month, could break-even for the first time. That’s good news for investors, but the 5-man operation is still facing some growing pains. Manager Dave Currier says the beer is good, but the facility needs some improvements. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster is a co-leader of a coalition of 178 Democratic lawmakers calling on Republican House Speaker John Boehner and his leadership to “publicly declare” they will not sue the threat of another government shutdown or default as leverage in the budget talks, her office said Thursday. Read more »