House committee says 'cheers' and send omnibus liquor bill to House floor

The House Commerce Committee unanimously approved the omnibus liquor bill late Friday afternoon, and with its work finished, adjourned at 5:11 p.m., cutting just a little bit into the traditional cocktail hour.

Sponsored by Rep. Laurie Halverson (DFL-Eagan) and Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls), HF2290/SF2130*, amended to include the House language through a delete-all amendment and a technical amendment, now goes to the House floor.

The Senate passed its bill 57-10 on April 4, 2019.

Provisions making up the bulk of the omnibus local liquor bill would give legal authority for municipalities or counties to issue liquor licenses to organizations, locations or events, including the following:

• Maple Lake Ice Fishing Derby;
• Baudette Arena Association;
• Castlewood Golf Course in Forest Lake;
• Pierz Golf Course;
• St. Cloud Orthopedics Field;
• Pemberton Community Center;
• Chaska Athletic Park, other than high school amateur events, occurring each year between May 1 and Aug. 30;
• Roseville Cedarholm Golf Course; and
• Minnesota Lakes Maritime Society, doing business as the Legacy of the Lakes Museum.

In addition, the bill would help quench the thirst of junior hockey league fans in Austin, Rochester, and St. Cloud. It would permit “an on-sale wine license and an on-sale malt liquor license to a person who is the owner of a junior hockey league team or to a person holding a concessions or management contract with the city or the team owner” at the team’s home arena.

Minneapolitans working up a thirst while visiting the city’s Downtown Commons Park, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, or Boom Island Park could wet their whistles there because the bill would allow liquor sales at those three parks.

The bill would also remove the restriction on extended on-sale hours that the Metropolitan Airport Commission may set for the sale of liquor within the security areas at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Current law only allows extended hours between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m.