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www.IowaABD.com |
Lynn M. Walding, Administrator |
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e - NEWS |
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June 20, 2003 |
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1. Bars Seek to Skirt Ban
on Ladies' Night
2. Sippin' up Summer
3. Bars Seek Fair Play on
Iowa’s Dram Law
4. AMA to Seek Stronger
Tobacco Warnings
5. Coffee Tequila,
Anyone?
6. AMA to Debate Call for
Liquor Ad Ban
7. Kahlua Maker Bets on
New Spiced Rum
8. Allied Tightens Grip
on Aussie Firm
9. Drinking While Driving
1. Bars Seek to Skirt Ban on Ladies' Night
By Chad Graham – Des Moines Register
June 7, 2003
DES MOINES - Natalee Snyder, 22,
can remember Wednesday nights when she'd plop down a nickel - usually dug from
the bottom of her purse - for a drink during Ladies' Night at Roadhouse 69.
Other female patrons would bring a roll of nickels to
the Ankeny bar and join the packed house.
Not anymore.
Following the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Commission
warning that a Ladies" Night violates civil rights law, Iowa bars are
turning their attention to other promotions.
Roadhouse 69 has started "human night."
No Wednesday night patron pays a cover charge, and
everyone gets domestic beers or well drinks for $1 between 9 p.m. and midnight.
"We wanted to comply with the law," said
Ada Underwood, bar manager. "We didn't want to take the night away
completely because so many people come in and everyone was just having a good
time."
Other establishments have considered "singles
night."
Some have inquired about bringing back "skirt
night" or offering one night as "men's night" and another as
"ladies' night," said Lynn Walding, administrator of the Iowa
Alcoholic Beverages Division.
"Iowa's civil rights law doesn't carve out
exceptions for equal opportunity discrimination," he said.
Walding has fielded a few phone calls from anxious
bar owners who had planned much of their summer business around a Ladies'
Night, but establishments may be relieved by the warning.
Ladies' nights are usually not money-making
promotions.
"My suspicion is they were only playing the
ladies-night game because of their competitors, and they were fearful of what
the marketplace might do," Walding surmised.
Bars have until August to disband ladies' nights,
Walding said. If not, venues could face sanctions such as fines or liquor
license revocation.
However, he warns that in that time, someone could
file a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.
"We quit Ladies' Night about six months
ago," said Billy Bryant, owner of Billy Joe's Pitcher Show. "It
wasn't working. I couldn't see any advantage of practically giving (the drinks)
away."
Women used to receive two-for-one well drinks between
9 p.m. and midnight at the West Des Moines bar. "Some of the other bars in
Des Moines got carried away with it," Bryant said.
Some patrons said the ban would not affect their
social life and they would go in search of other bar promotions offering
reduced prices for cover or alcohol.
Iowa alcohol awareness groups say promoting easy
access to cheap alcohol encourages binge drinking and is irresponsible.
They also cite the fact that women typically have
lower tolerance for alcohol and that could make them easy prey for men.
"I think that's ridiculous. Everyone needs to
know their own limit for how much they can drink," said Claire Woodburn,
21, playing pool with friends at Wellman's Pub in Des Moines recently.
"If you want to go out for drink specials, you
can still find those specials. They just don't call it Ladies' Night anymore.
They've gotten around the whole thing."
Kyle Dehmlow, manager of Shag's nightclub in Cedar
Falls said the bar would be tweaking its ladies promotion, but a new plan was
still being mulled by the owner.
Currently, young women aren't required to pay cover
on Saturday nights. He wasn't sure the warning would affect the club's
business.
"The guys always come out when the ladies
promotion appears. But, we have a lot of other promotions," he said.
"We're known more for our entertainment value (as a dance club) than the
specials, anyway."
The alcoholic beverages department issued its warning
last month after being asked to review the promotion by Sara Kellogg, program
coordinator of substance abuse and violence prevention at Iowa State
University.
In 1989, the Iowa Supreme Court
held that a “ladies" day promotion at Bluffs Run greyhound track in
Council Bluffs, in which women were given free admission and discounted prices
on concessions, discriminated against men and violated the state's Civil Rights
Act.
Frozen
drinks (from left) Pier Passion, Zulu’s by the Pitcher, Mandarin Dream
Martini and Melon Margarita were mixed by Ben E. Baldonado of Pier 14 of
Myrtle Beach.
2. Sippin' up Summer
There's just
something about the sun and sea that sparks a craving for cool and fruity
- The Sun News
June
18, 2003
MYRTLE BEACH - Summer
officially arrives in a few days, so it's time to dust off the blender for a
few refreshing tropical drinks. The classic blender drink to sip beach- or
poolside is the daiquiri, which in its basic form is a mixture of rum, lime
juice and sugar.
Various types of fruit
can be added to create almost any concoction imaginable. Then there's the pina
colada, literally "strained pine apple" in Spanish, which is an
island-inspired blend of coconut cream, pineapple juice and rum.
But you don’t have to
spike the blender with alcohol to create a fabulous fruity brew.
Luzianne makes three
flavors of packaged smoothie mixes - strawberry banana, peach mango and mixed
berry. You just have to add water, juice, ice or milk and toss in the blender.
To create your own
smoothie, start with low-fat yogurt or ice and add your own combination of
favorite fruits and juices. If you're feeling fancy, there are several types of
smoothie machines available at speciality kitchen and department stores. Prices
range from $39.99 at Target to the $65.95 Smoothie Pro 700 at http://juicersforless.com.
Whether you're sipping
smoothies or downing daiquiris, the drinks always seem to taste better by the
beach. Bartenders at local oceanfront hangouts stay busy blending frozen treats
throughout the summer.
Here's a look at the
tropical specialties at four oceanfront bars and restaurants.
Caribbean
Shuffle | This pina colada type drink with raspberry flavoring
and Malibu rum is a favorite at Conch Cafe in Garden City Beach, said owner
Holly Watts. All daiquiris at the restaurant are made in Island Oasis machines,
large blenders that come with pre-mixed fruit and juice blends. All the
bartender has to do is add the appropriate liquor. Another favorite frozen
drink among Conch Cafe customers is a blended mixture of kahlua and ice cream.
Moonlight
Margarita | Latitude 22 in Surfside Beach claims this
blend of Sauza Gold tequila, house margarita mix (a combination of various
juices) and a dash of the orange liqueur blue curcao as its signature drink. It
can be served on the rocks or frozen. Another popular tropical mix, according
to general manager J.P. King, is the Margarita Madras with Sauza Gold tequila, a
splash of cranberry juice and a splash of orange juice.
Mandarin Dream
Martini | Pier 14 bar manager Ben E. Baldonado created
this citrus blend, which is made of Absolut Mandarin vodka, a splash of orange
juice, a splash of cranberry juice and a splash of triple sec. It's shaken and
served in a martini glass with an orange slice.
Rum Runner |
This mix of rum, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, grenadine and almond liqueur
is the top drink at Ocean Annie's Beach Bar in Myrtle Beach.
3. Bars
Seek Fair Play on Iowa’s Dram Law
Taverns,
restaurants want rules to cover grocery, convenience stores
By Dick
Hogan – Cedar Rapids Gazette
May 30,
2003
CEDAR
RAPIDS – Leveling the playing field was a popular phrase Thursday from speakers
at a dram law hearing in Cedar Rapids held by the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages
Commission.
The dram
law holds bars responsible for harm caused by intoxicated customers.
The bar or
restaurant representatives who spoke said they are interested in their patron’s
safety. Many said it’s unfair that
they must buy dramshop insurance for their on-site alcohol sales and
consumption while convenience and grocery stores selling take-out alcohol do not
need the insurance. They asked the
dram insurance requirement be expanded to cover those businesses.
Paul
Trostel, Iowa Hospitality Association board chairman, noted that only 20
percent of Iowa alcohol sales are for on-premises consumption.
Trostel called
for developing a fund financed from sales of all alcoholic beverages. A third-party could administer the fund
which would be used as a pool to help pay dram awards to victims or the
relatives of victims of drunken drivers or assaults by drunks. The fund would create a ready pool of
money and perhaps lower dram insurance rates, he said.
Lynn
Walding, administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, said
California has a similar and promised the commission will study it.
The Cedar
Rapids hearing, attended by about 30 people, was one of three hearings across
the state reviewing Iowa’s dramshop law.
A decision to require bars to carry more liability insurance prompted
the hearings.
On Sept.
1, bars must carry insurance covering at least $50,000 per individual claim for
injury or death and $25,000 for loss of support. The old minimums of $10,000 and $5,000 were adopted about 40
years ago, according to Walding.
Most bars already carry more than minimum coverage, he said.
As another
safety measure, Dan Marquardt of Cedar Rapids suggested looking at Wisconsin’s
law prohibiting convenience stores from selling single cans fo beer. “Those are used for one thing – to
drink and drive,” he said.
There also
seemed to be general support for a commission recommendation to ban
all-you-can-drink and other specials.
Ames and
Iowa City already have banned all-you-can-drink for one price promotions. Iowa City also has rules limiting
certain kinds of promotions such as contests involving drinking alcohol or
awarding alcohol as a prize.
The final
two hearings are: July 17 at Doll
Distributing, 3501 23rd Ave., Council Bluffs and Aug. 12 at the
Davenport City Council Chambers, 226 W. Fourth St.
When the
hearings are done, Walding said the commission will study the information and
then submit about a half-dozen recommendations to the Legislature for debate.
4.
AMA to Seek Stronger Tobacco Warnings
By Lindsey Tanner
- The Associated Press
June 18, 2003
CHICAGO — The American Medical Association voted
Wednesday to seek stronger health warnings on tobacco products, including
pictures and larger, more pithy messages.
The nation's largest doctors' group also rebuffed
liquor industry efforts to water down AMA policy against alcohol, supporting
excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco and seeking to increase public awareness
about underage drinking.
The votes came at the AMA's annual meeting after Dr.
Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, told the gathering that tobacco and alcohol remain top killers
nationwide.
Gerberding also said emerging infectious diseases
with a global impact like SARS and monkeypox are the "new normal"
facing U.S. medicine, and that doctors need to be vigilant to control them.
But she stressed that chronic diseases including
ailments linked to tobacco use, obesity and alcohol abuse are "a very
critical component of our health agenda."
The tobacco warnings the AMA is seeking are akin to
picture warnings used in several countries including Thailand, where cigarette
packs have contained images of a drooping cigarette to show tobacco's ill
effects on male sexuality, said Dr. Ronald Davis, an AMA trustee.
Other examples include pictures of a diseased lung
and large "smoking kills" labels on the front of cigarette packs, as
have been used in Canada, Davis said.
Studies have shown that "stronger health
warnings are much more effective in grabbing the attention of the user,"
Davis said.
The AMA's new alcohol policy is based on data linking
excessive underage drinking with learning and memory deficits.
Davis said data also show that excise taxes can help
reduce consumption — a claim vigorously denied by Dr. Raymond Scalettar, a
former AMA chairman hired last year as an adviser by the Distilled Spirits
Council of the United States.
Scalettar said there's no such evidence and called
the tax measure "very troubling."
"What's next? Do we (tax) saturated fats, do we
do McDonalds?" Scalettar said at an AMA committee meeting Sunday.
He said the liquor council shares the AMA's concern
about underage drinking and on Wednesday praised the group for deferring action
on a measure that would have consolidated existing AMA alcohol policy,
including its stance against liquor advertising.
The AMA says the deferral will enable it to clarify
the original measure, but the liquor industry views the delay as a chance to
renew its argument that alcohol ads don't affect consumption.
In other new policy adopted Wednesday, the AMA said
it will:
Seek
to increase doctors' awareness about older driver safety and medical conditions
that might affect older patients' ability to drive.
Seek
better federal regulation of small meat-processing facilities that sometimes
also handle wild game during hunting season. The measure aims to ensure that
meat from game animals potentially afflicted with chronic wasting disease does
not contaminate commercial meat products. The issue mostly affects small
operations in rural areas.
5. Coffee Tequila, Anyone?
Blame it on the cocktail boom. Now they're putting
almost anything in a bottle -- as long as it's bright and quirky.
By Valli Herman-Cohen – Los
Angeles Times
June
18 2003
Los Angeles - As the cocktail boom
just keeps on booming, maybe you're ready to cry out, "Enough already!
Enough blue stuff, green stuff, red stuff. Just stop."
But of course, the commercial barons and bars in this business are on to
something and won't quit. The latest inventions are quirky premixed cocktails
— in a bottle. These convenience drinks are being sold in supermarkets
and liquor stores, as well as over the barroom counter. They range from a mango
grain-alcohol blend to cinnamon tequila. One particularly popular entry is
Hpnotiq (it's pronounced "hypnotic," of course, since clever
spellings are now a necessary part of cocktail life) — a
swimming-pool-blue mix of cognac, vodka and fruit flavors.
The new bottled blends might be expected to send purists into paroxysms of
disdain, but surprisingly, some serious mixologists are finding creative uses
for them. The trend may not turn out to be as ridiculous as it seems.
"I go into it with an open mind," said Dale DeGroff, the master
bartender who wrote "The Craft of the Cocktail" (Clarkson Potter,
2002). DeGroff uses some of the newer blended liquors to improve the flavor of
an inexpensive spirit, or he enlivens them with a squeeze of fresh citrus
juice. Being a good bartender, he said, "is like being a chef. If you
approach [drink mixing] in a professional way and understand the products and
techniques, you can make a pretty darn good drink out of most things."
Even if a bartender using some of the new drinks is akin to a chef using
prepackaged convenience foods, DeGroff is no snob on the subject. At the very
least, he considers them an improvement over stale, old-school cocktail mixes.
"I want to move away from too many artificial products," he said.
"But the Bloody Mary would never have happened if there wasn't canned
tomato juice."
Like perfume
So far, the trendiest new liquor blend is Hpnotiq. It was invented by a
Russian-born professional tennis player named Raphael Yakoby, who came up with
the idea while he was in the perfume department at Bloomingdale's. After
personally pushing the product into liquor stores along the East Coast, he
handed control to Heaven Hill Distilleries in January, said company spokesman
Larry Kass. The Kentucky company has promoted the stuff in bars with glowing
blue swizzle sticks, placements at the Oscars and Grammys, and with its Team
Hpnotiq, a group of girls in skimpy outfits who pour drinks.
The dazzling blue color hasn't hurt, either.
"Traditionally, if you wanted a blue drink, all you had been able to use
was blue Curaçao," Kass said. "It is an almost cloyingly sweet kind
of product."
The Hpnotiq cocktail at Koi on La Cienega is anything but cloying. The
bartenders mix it with an equal part of sake and a splash of pineapple juice,
for a fruity, sophisticated drink.
Hpnotiq's splashy success has caught the eye of manufacturers that would like
to capitalize on the mixed-flavor trend. Now, similar new-wave cocktails in a
bottle are arriving in grocery and liquor stores, most in the $15 to $30 range.
There's Hiram Walker's Frujá, a 30-proof blend of fruit-infused grain alcohol
that comes in mango, raspberry and — a first — tangerine.
Remy Red mixes cognac with tropical fruit juices, ginseng and guarana to craft
a vivid red drink.
This month, Kahlua introduced Kuya, a "fusion rum" that blends spiced
and flavored rums. It was created as the ultimate mixer for the most popular
mixed drink in the country — rum and cola. Although it tastes much
like a spiced rum, Kuya smells like a cross between Coca-Cola and root beer.
(And it must be admitted: It does improve a rum and Coke.)
At Hennessey's in Hermosa Beach, bartenders are pouring Kuya into the bar's
newest rum drinks, including Weekend at the Beach — a shot of Kuya
blended with peach schnapps and orange and pineapple juices. During happy hour,
the bar features Kuya fruit juice punch and the Tropical Moon, a half shot each
of Kuya and amaretto, mixed with splashes of coconut milk and pineapple juice.
Who knows what they'll do with Wet by Beefeater — a gin infused with
17 varieties of pear essence — when it makes its L.A. debut.
Tequila makers are crashing the party too. In squat, frosted bottles, Tequipal
tequila drinks look innocent enough, until you ponder the flavors —
coffee, cinnamon, coconut, strawberry or peach.
The McCormick Distilling Co. has found a technology to make KeKe Beach, a
cream-based key-lime liqueur that won't curdle if citrus juices are added. The
Missouri distiller is also relaunching Tequila Rose, a strawberry-cream tequila
liqueur made for mixing or shots.
Also making a comeback: the passion fruit juice and cognac blend Alizé de
France, which nearly bombed after its introduction in the mid-'90s.
David Brodowsky, manager of Nic's Restaurant & Martini Lounge in Beverly
Hills, is inclined to give Alizé another chance.
"From a cost standpoint, some of these are not as expensive as your
high-end cordials," said Brodowsky. Alizé may cost him $10 less than a
similar quantity of Gran Marnier, he said, but Alizé adds a more pleasing and
substantial mouth feel.
For Nic's Golden Delicious apple martini, bartenders are mixing two parts
passion fruit-flavor Alizé Gold with one part sour-apple liqueur.
Bartenders may also be more inclined to experiment with the new liquor blends
because, unlike their predecessors — the apricot sours and crème de
menthe drinks — they usually don't taste like 100-proof sugar.
"The amount of products out there have opened up the creativity
walls," Brodowsky said. "People are also more knowledgeable. They
want to know what's in their drinks. In the past, you could call it Jungle
Juice and mix anything in it. And as long as it got them drunk, they were
happy. Now they want to know everything."
'Headache in a bottle'
But for some bartenders, the convenience and flavor of the new blended liquors
don't always cut it.
"True connoisseurs and good bartenders consider these almost like
cheating," said Eric Perardi, a bartender at Shutters on the Beach in
Santa Monica. He's staying away from the multi-liquor concoctions like Hpnotiq.
"It's like a headache in a bottle," he said, moaning about the mix of
cognac and vodka.
At Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood, bar manager Angelito Felix is taking
matters into his own hands.
"We started off with classic liqueurs; now we're playing with new things,"
he said.
Felix has begun making his own alternative liquors, starting with a coffee
bean-and-booze infusion that's soaking in the back room, waiting for its debut
in some new cocktail.
For now, the just-opened lounge is pouring Cruzan, a banana-flavored rum,
straight from the bottle or with standard mixers.
"You need something different from everyone else," Felix said.
"That's the whole game in this business."
6.
AMA to Debate Call for Liquor Ad Ban
By Jim Ritter – Chicago Sun-Times
June 16, 2003
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CHICAGO
- Alcohol ads should be banned and cigarette packs should have blunter warnings
such as "This product kills," according to resolutions that will be
debated this week by the American Medical Association.
Delegates at the annual AMA meeting also will be
asked to support a ban on ephedra supplements, to study the decriminalization
of marijuana, to oppose the death penalty, to investigate slave labor around
the world and to declare that cloning human embryos for medical research is
ethical.
The AMA lost nearly 18,000 doctors last year, but
still has more than 260,000 members and remains the country's most influential
medical group.
The six-day meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago provides
a snapshot of the hottest issues in medicine. Delegates will take up more than
250 reports and resolutions. However, controversial resolutions often are
watered down or rejected by the traditionally conservative AMA.
Alcohol: Delegates will consider a new
policy on alcohol marketing to replace a jumble of sometimes-inconsistent
statements. In the new policy, the AMA would lobby to ban alcohol ads
everywhere except inside stores and wholesale outlets, urge colleges to bar
alcoholic beverage companies from sponsoring sporting events, concerts, etc.,
and express "strong disapproval" of drinking nonalcoholic beer by
anyone under age 21.
Smoking: The California delegation wants
the AMA to lobby Congress for stronger warning labels on cigarettes, such as
"This product is addictive" and "This product causes
impotence." The warnings should use pictorial displays and cover at least
50 percent of all tobacco packaging.
Other resolutions say cigarette
makers should be denounced for marketing to gays and lesbians and banned from
using "deceptive" labels such as "light" and
"low-tar." And, any store that sells medicine to Medicare or Medicaid
patients shouldn't be allowed to sell tobacco.
7. Kahlua
Maker Bets on New Spiced Rum
By Jim Kirk - Chicago Tribune
May 28, 2003
CHICAGO - With the hopes of twice catching lightning in a bottle, Allied Domecq
is hoping a new flavored rum with close ties to its successful Kahlua will open
a new category for the spirits giant.
Kuya Fusion Rum, whose packaging is so similar to
Kahlua's that you might think you're picking up a bottle of its famous liqueur,
rolls out this month into markets.
In fact, the company is so confident about the close
ties that the Kuya label, which advertises "a fusion of imported rums with
natural spice, citrus and other flavors," includes the reference
"from the makers of Kahlua."
Allied is betting big on Kuya. The product will be
its biggest launch ever, complete with roughly $30 million in print and cable
TV advertising, built around the theme "React to the beat."
With the rum category now only second to vodka,
thanks to the resurgence of the cocktail culture in recent years and flavored
drinks made popular by HBO's "Sex in the City," Allied is hoping it
is hitting the bars at the right time.
Allied Domecq executives say that through market
segmentation studies, Allied hopes to not only steal market share in the rum
category, but also bourbon, vodka and beer.
That's a tall order for one product, especially when
drinkers tend to remain loyal to one category over another.
"Kuya is not the same old, same old rum,"
said Simon Cunningham, executive vice president, marketing, Allied Domecq
Spirits North America.
With a target market of men 21 to 29, on-premise marketing
efforts will be geared to mixing Kuya with cola.
The rollout is expected to heat things up in the rum
category. It pits Allied Domecq against Diageo's Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.
Diageo is one of the few spirits giants to use cable
TV for aggressive product advertising.
Kuya will be promoted as having the same base rum as
Kahlua, executives from the company said.
Allied Domecq forecasts extensive growth in the
category, claiming that the so-called dynamic rum sector makes up only 12.7
percent, with sales growing annually at a 4.1 percent clip.
8. Allied Tightens Grip on Aussie Firm
Business Section – This is London
June 6, 2003
LONDON - Drinks giant Allied Domecq has fuelled speculation
over its intentions towards top Australian wine producer Peter Lehmann Wines
after grabbing a further 5% of the company in a share market raid.
Allied now holds 15% of Peter Lehmann, a Barossa
Valley producer which is valued at around A$120m (£47.6m).
Lehmann shares spiked 12% after the Allied raid,
which came less than a week after the company joined other Australian wine
producers and downgraded its profit forecast by 25%. That announcement prompted
a 6% slide in the share price.
Although 30% of Lehmann is held by shareholders loyal
to the Lehmann family, which opposes any outright sale, Allied could still
achieve majority ownership.
The company's chief executive Doug
Lehmann said he was 'in the dark' about Allied's intentions, and had had no contact
with the British giant since May 2002, when Allied upped its stake to more than
10%.
9. Drinking While Driving
It’s Legal in
Montana, Mississippi, Wyoming
— But Don’t Be Drunk
June 10, 2003 HELENA - For some people in
Montana, time and distance are measured by how many beers it takes to drive
from one place to the other. A drive from Billings to Bozeman would be a
"six-pack drive"; a drive across the nation's third-largest state would take a whole case of beer. |
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When newspaper reporter Eve
Byron leaves for home in rural Montana, she thinks nothing of drinking a beer
while she's driving. And why not? In Montana, it's perfectly legal. "I'm 43 years old and I've been
drinking beer for 20 years now and having a beer on the way home is not going
to make me a hazard on the road," she said as she sipped a cold one. "It's just as dangerous to
have people talking on a cell phone, or two screaming kids in the back,"
she added. "I don't get drunk and drive." Montana is not alone. It's legal
to drink while driving in Mississippi and Wyoming, too. But there are
restrictions. Many of Montana's cities have passed local ordinances against
the practice, and you must not be intoxicated while driving through big sky
country. In Montana, the legal blood-alcohol limit is .08. "I think if you've got
about 100 miles to go between towns," said a local judge, "you've
got to drink something, as long as you're not being imprudent." MADD Lobbying for Bill to Ban
Beer
Not everyone in this wide-open
state agrees. Mothers Against Drunk Driving helped draw up a bill outlawing
drinking while driving that was recently introduced in the Montana
Legislature. Bill Muhs, who heads the Bozeman
chapter of the group, lobbied hard for its passage. His 20-year-old daughter
was killed by a drunken driver. "If we're really concerned
about drunk driving, we need to really separate drinking from driving — it's
just that simple," he said. Still, Muhs realizes it takes
time to change age-old customs in Montana. "Change is a little slow up
here, people are a little more reticent to change their lifestyle here,"
he said. In fact, the bill never made it
out of committee. It was blocked by a powerful state representative who
argued that Montana simply needed to enforce the laws on the books, not make
new ones. "We just don't need the
government making laws that don't do anything," said Rep. Jim Shockley,
a Republican from the town of Victor. "Those laws just turn honest
people into criminals." Montana's Legislature meets once
every two years, so no change will occur until the next session convenes in
2005, if then. Gov. Judy Martz insists she will push through the legislation
if she's re-elected. "I am very disappointed we
didn't get it this session but we will get it the next session," she
said. Passing an open-container law
has become somewhat of a personal crusade for Martz. In 2001, a popular state
legislator was killed in a drunken-driving accident. The driver, one of
Martz's aides, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in the case. Still,
old drinking habits die hard in cowboy country. When asked what she would do
if the state outlawed drinking while driving, Eve Byron paused, took a sip of
beer, and as she sped toward home, said simply, "Well, I guess I'll
become an outlaw." |