If I'm recalling correctly, Texas is the only state that requires the "ale" designation for beer of a certain strength.
Incidentally, A-B argued in favor of changing the "ale" labeling law in favor of allowing it to be used as a descriptive style/brewing method designator, not as a marker of strength:
Other way around: A-B is trying to talk Modelo into selling A-B the other half it doesn't already own.
Pity InBev doesn't have much of anything to do with them.
-Steve