21-only petition submitted in Iowa City

Organizers of a petition drive believe they have the signatures needed to put the 21-only bar issue on the November ballot in Iowa City.

Y.E.S.S. to 19 submitted about 3,300 signatures with the City Clerk's Office late Tuesday afternoon. Organizers needed to collect 2,500 signatures from eligible voters to force the council to act on their proposal.

Petition organizer Raj Patel said the majority of the signatures came from University of Iowa students energized by the City Council's April vote to keep people younger than 21 out of bars at night.

“You can't really change student behavior with three words changed in the city code,” said Patel, a 19-year-old UI student. “This was kind of a lazy endeavor.”

The proposed referendum would seek to repeal the council's vote and again let 19- and 20-year-olds in bars after 10 p.m., as has been allowed. The new 21-only law takes effect June 1.

City Clerk Marian Karr said her office would soon start work on verifying the signatures.

If the petition is deemed valid, the council could repeal the law itself or send it to voters in a special election or as part of the Nov. 2 general election.

Council members have said the latter option is the most likely. The council approved the new law with a 6-1 vote, and the majority isn't going to change their minds, and a special election would cost money.

The petition was far from a surprise and it has been assumed, even by council members, that the issue would end up before voters.

Led by strong student turnout, a 21-only proposal was defeated 58 percent to 42 percent in 2007.

Mayor Matt Hayek wouldn't predict what may happen if there's a vote this November, but he believes there is now a greater awareness of the downtown alcohol issues Iowa City is facing. He also noted that UI administrators, including President Sally Mason, have expressed support for the 21-only law this time around, and the council is more united in its stance.

“I think there will be a real battle over the issue, but I do think public opinion has shifted,” he said.

Patel said his organization will spend the summer knocking on doors in Iowa City neighborhoods trying to drum up support for its position. A key argument of 21-only opponents is the law will push drinking to house parties in the neighborhoods near campus.

Patel said his group will reengage students when they return in August. He said they registered thousands of students to vote during the petition drive.

Patel acknowledged there is a binge-drinking problem in Iowa City, but he said the solution to curbing that is offering more nightlife alternatives.

The “Y.E.S.S.” in his organization's name stands for Yes to Entertaining Students Safely.