As everyone knows, the bars in Minneapolis now must close at 1AM as required by law. Many people believe the limit should be later.
Today, the Senate Commerce & Utilities Committee held a public hearing on ten bills covering a wide variety of issues; one of them includes a provision to allow bars to stay open until 2AM. RT was the first witness, pointing out that as he talks to Minneapolis Police officers, they tell him that the crush of people emptying out of the bars all at once at 1AM is a public safety problem and that a 2AM closing time would be better, since the crowds leaving would be a little more spread out. Greg Ortale of the Convention & Visitors Bureau testified that Minneapolis could land more national conventions with a 2AM closing time, and obviously that would bring more money into the city. Mothers Against Drunk Driving testified against. I have TREMENDOUS respect for the folks at MADD and the work they do, but personally, I just feel they are wrong on this one issue. I won't go into all the arguments; maybe some other folks would like to argue the pros and cons. The bill did pass the committee, although we still have to see what happens on the Senate floor and in the House. Don Jorovsky Committee Administrator Senate Commerce & Utilities Committee TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
