Senate passes underage drinking bill

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Bar and liquor owners could obtain judgments of $1,000 against underage drinkers they sue in civil court under a bill passed by the state Senate on Tuesday.

The Senate gave its approval Tuesday of Assembly Bill 61, which would allow alcohol retailers who have been duped by fake IDs to sue the presenters for $1,000 in civil court.

State Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, who voted against the bill, said the legislation would put a $1,000 bounty on the heads of underage drinkers and was “not dealing with the underlying problem of alcohol and drug abuse.”

State Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, put forward an amendment to the bill that would have required the amounts awarded in the cases go to local police and toward programs meant to prevent drug and alcohol abuse. The proposal was tabled with no debate.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Small Business and Tourism approved the same bill a week before.
 To file a suit under the bill, retailers must not have been convicted or cited for knowingly selling drinks to someone who is younger than 21. The suits could also be brought against the parents of children who are younger than 18 and have not been emancipated.

Under an amendment to the bill, they would also have to notify police of the underage violation. At the same time, retailers would not be prohibited from suing someone who is facing charges of underage drinking.

The original version of the bill would have also let bar owners and retailers sue to recoup reasonable attorney’s fees, but that provision was eliminated in another amendment. Assembly Bill 61 was passed by the state Assembly on May 14.

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