the years-long struggle between breweries and the state may finally be over lawmakers on Friday approved a bill overturning restrictions that have been on the craft breweries but owners say they're now stuck in limbo because Governor Murphy hasn't signed it senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports we don't trust it now you know and and you have to have trust Mike Jones runs Hackensack Brewing Company and right now his glass is half empty and half full on one hand the assembly Friday unanimously passed a bill to free New Jersey's Brewery industry from onerous limits on events and food service but the legislation remains unsigned by Governor Murphy leaving breweries on Shore we're ready to rock but it's it's like they just don't want to sign it and and really give us those rights when we're planning our businesses we need to know in concrete hey this is what we're able to do and right now we're on a political roller coaster that we just kind of want to get off how sure are you that the governor's going to actually sign this bill I'm not sure at all I'm never sure of anything until there's income paper Scott Wells heads Bolero snort a Carlstadt Brewery he says his industry struggled last year under restrictions that prohibited working with food vendors limited live music events and TVs and restricted the number of on-site events from parties to high holiday celebrations they lobbied hard for privileges breweries and neighboring states already enjoy the bill didn't do a ton we got the ability to have the food trucks which I'd like to take advantage of and I want to have you know live music here and support the local artists Jersey breweries new state licenses issued July 1st continue those restrictions but the state's division of Alcohol Beverage Control recognized the pending legislation and promised hands-off enforcement with a major caveat should the status of the pending legislation change beforehand the division will conform its regulatory policies to the law as necessary without Murphy's action the bill expires December 31st so we don't really know how to take the next steps here and grow the business further through these temporary permissions we have we're a small business and we can't really live by this let's see what happens in six month things it's been a hard-fought battle restaurant and Industry lobbyists had originally a letting breweries expand their food and event options they considered it on Fair competition because breweries don't have to pour money into expensive liquor licenses that's where politics re-enters the mix Governor Murphy is still pushing to reform New Jersey's liquor license laws our liquor licensing regime is antiquated and confuse it but that political battle's ongoing and Uphill says Senator Vin gopal who sponsored the brewery Bill we have until January the governor's office is supportive of this bill but they want further liquor license reforms and they want to use it as a way to negotiate with the Senate breweries however don't want to be a bargaining chip says industry rep Eric Orlando and we think the longer this goes um the more likely we are to become Pawn in the negotiations um I've been telling our folks we were first upon and we've graduated now honestly almost to a hostage in this case and I really don't want to graduate to a sacrificial lamb uh in the lame duck session he says a half dozen New Jersey breweries closed last year and many others remain on the brink the governor's office had no comment on pending legislation in Hackensack I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News