Money coming in for and against Iowa City’s 21-only bar law

The groups campaigning for and against Iowa City's 21-only bar law reported Monday that they have raised several thousand dollars each – with the election still more than three months away.

21 Makes Sense, which wants to uphold the law that keeps people younger than 21 out of bars at night, brought in $9,370 from when it formed June 25 until July 14, according to a report filed with the Iowa Campaign and Ethics Disclosure Board.

Yes to Entertaining Students Safely, or YESS, which is campaigning against the law, raised $8,260 in the reporting period, according to campaign manager Matt Pfaltzgraf. His group planned to file its report with the state later Monday evening, he said.

Iowa City voters will head to the polls Nov. 2 to decide whether they want to uphold or repeal the law approved by the City Council this spring that increased the minimum bar-entry age from 19 to 21 after 10 p.m.

Voters defeated a 21-only proposal in 2007.

21 Makes Sense received 23 donations, including $2,500 each from Tom Rocklin, the University of Iowa's interim vice president of student services, and his wife, Kimberly Ephgrave.

Other contributors were UI Provost Wallace Loh ($1,000), former Iowa City Mayor John Balmer ($500) and current City Council member Connie Champion ($200 in her name and another $300 from a business she co-owns).

Rocklin, Loh and Balmer are members of 21 Makes Sense.

The committee reported just $29 in expenses. Campaign manager Nick Westergaard said his firm had not yet submitted a bill to 21 Make Sense.

YESS received 511 contributions, Pfaltzgraf said.

The committee spent $7,462, leaving it with $798 cash on hand, he said. Pfaltzgraf said the largest expense was his consulting fee, at $5,000.