KTRV Fox 12 House Kills Beer and Wine at the Movies Bill, One Lawmaker Says It's Not Dead Yet
Member Center:
You may not be able to sip beer or wine while watching movies in some Idaho theaters anymore.
This comes after House lawmakers voted down a bill that would allow folks to do so.
The legislation died Wednesday in a vote of 38-to-30.But the bill's sponsor hopes to keep alternative theaters like The Flicks in Boise in business through some additional legislation.
"There really isn't any place like The Flicks," said The Flicks owner Carole Skinner.
What keeps this one of a kind movie theater in Boise up and running? The option for it's customers to have a glass of wine or perhaps a beer while they watch their movie.
But alcohol at the movies raises a few brows.
"It's not an issue of serving the beer or wine the problem is minors being in the same area where the alcohol is consumed. There's specific restrictions on minors being at those," said Lt. Bob Clements with the Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control. Clements worries a minor could be drinking in a dark theater.
Skinner says they work hard to make sure beer and wine doesn't get into the wrong hands. That is in addition to carding.
"Mostly we are worried about talking and talking on cell phones being disruptive rather than minors drinking, she said. "But we do check throughout show times we think that we do have that under control."
Regardless of how the movie theater monitors who buys alcohol, lawmakers say they are still out of compliance with state laws.
"I think they are a business and I have a problem with the state licensing someone saying it's okay to do what you've been doing for a long time and then all of a sudden the state says 'oh, you shouldn't be doing that'. I think they should be allowed to continue what they have been doing,"said Rep. Wendy Jaquet.
After the House voted to kill a bill that would allow some theaters the alcohol access, Jaquet created another bill that would grant existing theaters like the Flicks compliance.
"Our state is very pro business and I think that is the issue. These people are out of compliance and they need to be made in compliance and that's what this legislation will do," Jaquet said.That's helpful to folks at The Flicks. Without beer and wine, Skinner says that will impact the bottom line.
"They don't want to toss it back -- it's a Chardonnay, a Cabernet, a Merlot. It's something they want to sip and they want to sip it throughout the film,"said Skinner.
The new and slightly improved bill grandfathers in The Flicks and three other theaters like it in the Sun Valley and Ketchum area. It will go before the House Ways and Means Committee tomorrow.
Keeping an eye on theaters like The Flicks is the responsibility of the Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control. With only one officer statewide to enforce liquor laws in these kinds of establishments, the ISP has a hard time.According to Clements, making sure minors don't get a hold of beer and wine in theaters is just one item in a long list of alcohol enforcement.
"With just the one officer we certainly can't do it all. It would be up to local law enforcement initially perhaps to look at the violations or assist us in doing that, " Clements said.
The division that monitors theaters also looks at other issues of public safety, including people who are too intoxicated, selling alcohol to minors, and addressing illegal gambling in the state.
###
