Senate tries to help police deal with nuisance bars

DES MOINES – The Senate passed legislation Monday intended to help law enforcement officers deal with nuisance bars.

Senators voted 32-17 to make bar and tavern owners responsible for reporting illegal drug dealing, prostitution, brawls or other law-breaking activities that might occur on parking lots or other areas adjacent to their licensed premises under their jurisdiction.

Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, said the language attempts to get at a small number of drinking establishments where law officers are repeatedly called to investigate reports of under-aged drinking or criminal activity – prostitution, drug dealing, brawls, stabbings, or shootings -- occurring on adjacent property under the control of the bar or tavern.

However, Sen. Keith Kreiman, D-Bloomfield, expressed concern that House File 788 proposed to make changes dealing with crimes and violations involving under-aged drinkers that had not gone through the traditional legislative process.

Kreiman said he was concerned the law change would make bar owners “mandatory reporters” of criminal activity; otherwise, they could risk losing their state liquor license or face misdemeanor citations. He worried the new responsibility would be applied to things like violations of the state's smoking restrictions.

“They're not selling Coca Cola, they're selling Everclear and, as a licensed retail of liquor, they've agreed to act in a certain way,” McCoy countered. “We make them comply with a lot of rules and this is one of them.”

Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, called concerns about the bill “a lot to do about not that much.” But, critics worried that the revised language would create too many gray areas regarding what outside activities might be deemed the responsibility of an establishment that held a state liquor license.

The bill exempts grocery stores, convenience stores or other businesses that sell alcoholic beverages but not for on-premise consumption.

Also Monday, the Senate approved a number of bills dealing with military veterans' issues, including legislation that would make Veterans Day a holiday for Iowa's veterans.

Employees seeking the day off would have to notify employees 30 days in advance and employers would have to reply at least 10 days before the holiday. The measure, which returns to the House for consideration, would exempt employment situations involving health and safety issues, significant economic impacts, or operational disruptions.

Also Monday, Senate members:

l passed a bill allowing injured veterans who required 30 consecutive days of hospitalization at a military hospital to be eligible for a state veterans' grant program. Some veterans who were injured overseas were not eligible for the program because they were not evacuated from the theater. The change, passed Monday and sent to Gov. Chet Culver, would make them eligible.

l passed a bill requiring state Department of Economic Development officials to encourage and assist businesses owned by disabled veterans to obtain state contracts.

l passed a bill authorizing unemployment benefits to spouses of deployed military soldiers. Sen. Steve Warnstadt, D-Sioux City, the stresses on military families are “very high” and the impact of House File 2110 on military families would be “truly priceless.”

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