Will Lawmakers Mess with Happy Hour? Nope.

The Gazette's front page carried news this morning of an effort by Iowa City officials to convince state lawmakers to regulate drink specials and even happy hour. Locals are working on their own city ordinances, but they think a statewide approach would "level the playing field" for bars.

Now, we all know lawmakers like to legislate sin. They like to tax them. They like to ban them from public places. The indoor smoking ban is the latest evidence of legislative vice-thumping. And binge drinking in Iowa City is a real problem, no doubt.

However, one reason lawmakers were so willing to tax smokes and ban smoking in bars was that almost none of them smoke anymore. Doesn't affect them.

But the Legislature is still full of drinkers. That's one reason why, despite the threat of losing federal highway dollars, it took the Legislature several years to lower the blood alcohol content for drunken driving. It's also part of the reason that although they eventually embraced a tobacco tax increase, they couldn't run fast enough away from Gov. Tom Vilsack's plan to hike the beer tax.

Also, how do you outlaw drink specials and happy hour with a straight face when special interest groups are handing you free beer and munchies at countless receptions during the legislative session? There are a lot of very happy hours during a 110-day legislative session.

I also think it's unlikely lawmakers will give tavern/bar-grill owners another kick in the shorts. After banning TouchPlay, raising the minimum wage and banning smoking, the happy hour elimination act of 2009 might spark an insurrection.

All that said, I don't blame Iowa City folks for asking for help. They've got a serious problem on their hands. But I don't think it's a mess lawmakers are willing to clean up.