Council majority supports 21-only bar law in Iowa City

IOWA CITY - A strong majority of the City Council supports a 21-only ordinance for Iowa City bars, but few people expect the council to have the final say on the matter.

The council Monday said it wants to vote later this month on an ordinance that would make it so only people 21 and older can be in bars at night. Currently, people 19 and older can get into bars.

On Tuesday, Regenia Bailey was the only member of the seven-person council to say she was against the proposal. If that holds, the ordinance could be on the books this spring.

But there's a general belief, even among council members, that enough people from the public would disagree and force a referendum for a citywide vote.

In November 2007, voters defeated a 21-only initiative 58 percent to 42 percent.

“And I would expect the vote (this time) to be the same as the first vote,” said Leah Cohen, owner of Bo-James bar.

Mike Porter, owner of One-Eyed Jakes and the Summit Bar and Restaurant, agreed and also said he thought the council was acting against the wishes of the people.

“And they might accomplish it for two or three months, and then it will get overturned, and it's going to be an enormous waste of taxpayer money and resources,” he said.

This college town has been talking about drinking issues for decades, and the 21-only law has come before the council at least three times in the past decade without being approved.

New council member Susan Mims disputed the contention that the council may be subverting the will of the people a little more than two years after the 2007 vote. She noted that there are four new members on the council since then, and said there's growing frustration with bar owners.

“I think it's become clear to people that, particularly in these large bars, they are not showing that they can control access to alcohol for the underage individuals,” Mims said.

Mayor Matt Hayek ran off a laundry list of steps the city has taken in recent years, including increasing enforcement and fines for underage people in possession of alcohol, which commonly is called a PAULA ticket, and holding numerous meetings.

A year ago, the council approved a new policy that in effect denies liquor licenses to establishments with PAULA rates greater than 1.0 per police officer visit. But a few bars have successfully challenged that policy with the state, although the city has appealed the decisions.

Those may end up being Pyrrhic victories for the bars.

“There's one significant tool that's available to the city that it has not pursued, and that is 21,” Hayek said.

If the council approves a 21-only ordinance, a petition signed by at least 2,500 eligible voters would force a referendum. The 2007 vote saw record turnout for an Iowa City election, and college students voting locally played a key part in the defeat of the 21-only proposal.

Unlike last time, University of Iowa administrators are weighing in, with the UI saying Tuesday it supports raising the minimum bar age.

“I believe it would diminish the high incidence of dangerous drinking in our community by underage students and other underage persons who come from out of town to drink in Iowa City,” Provost Wallace Loh said in an e-mail message.

UI President Sally Mason has said she regrets not taking a position in 2007.

The Gazette's Diane Heldt contributed to this report.