Hearing Tonight on Proposed Liquor Law Changes

One of the difficulties facing both the communities of Baltimore City, and its Board of Liquor License Commissioners, is that the state law regulating liquor licenses allows the Board to consider only the character of the applicant when considering a transfer of a license. Since so many of the situations in which a community is unhappy with a licensee involve chronic neighborhood disruptions already in existence, and since this information cannot be considered when deciding whether or not to allow the transfer of a license, many chronically bad businesses remain so over the years.

Another difficulty that some communities face is bottle clubs. Since bottle club registrants are not permitted to sell alcohol, but simply allow patrons to consume alcohol that they have previously purchased or reserved, the need for stricter provisions regulating where these registrations may be placed, who shall be permitted to receive such a registration and the regulation of alcohol consumption in these establishments is vital to protect communities from the ills typical of over consumption of alcohol and negligent management: public urination/defecation; violence; public drunkenness; loud noise; destruction of property, etc.

Both of these issues will be addressed at a hearing this evening at 5pm in the City Council Chambers. The Chambers are located in City Hall, 100 North Holliday Street. The hearing is open to the public and will be carried live on Cable Channel 25. The hearing, held by the Council’s Community Development subcommittee, will focus on these issues while considering two resolutions of mine asking for changes to be made in state law by the General Assembly, when it comes into session in January. Copies of the resolutions are available here and here.  (Photo by Sean Yoes of The Afro)