Minors involved in alcohol compliance checks would be prohibited from lying about their age or consuming alcohol under a bill given first-round approval Jan. 24.<\/p>\n
Under LB60, introduced by Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, law enforcement officers also would be prohibited from consuming alcohol during a compliance check.<\/p>\n
Krist said the bill would prevent law enforcement from engaging in \u201csting operations\u201d by encouraging minors to lie about their age or consume alcohol during compliance checks of liquor license holders.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf an underage person is used in a compliance check, we shouldn\u2019t be encouraging them to be anything less than truthful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash opposed the bill, saying compliance checks work because they encourage employees to ask patrons for identification to prove they are of legal age to purchase alcohol. LB60 would remove the incentive to ask for ID, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201c[An employee] can just ask them if they\u2019re working for law enforcement and they have to say yes,\u201d he said. \u201cCompliance check over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bellevue Sen. Abbie Cornett offered a motion to return LB60 to the General Affairs Committee for further consideration, saying passage would increase underage drinking in the state.<\/p>\n
Minors who work with law enforcement in compliance check operations cannot present false identification, Cornett said, but they may verbally lie about their age. Removing their ability to do so would \u201cessentially shut down\u201d compliance checks, she said.<\/p>\n
Cornett said that when formerly employed as a bar manager, she always asked for identification because she was on alert for compliance checks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was never cited for serving a minor,\u201d Cornett said. \u201cIt\u2019s very simple: you ask for identification.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoskins Sen. Dave Bloomfield opposed the motion to return LB60 to committee. Doing so would not change the committee\u2019s position on the bill, he said, which was advanced to general file on a 6-2 vote.<\/p>\n
The motion failed on a 20-24 vote.<\/p>\n
Krist offered an amendment, adopted 35-2, which would specify that the primary source for age verification during a compliance check would be a government-issued identification as outlined elsewhere in state law. Those forms of identification include a state ID, driver\u2019s license, military ID, alien ID card or a passport.<\/p>\n
Krist said the amendment would help ensure that compliance checks are conducted properly.<\/p>\n
Senators advanced LB60 to select file on a 25-17 vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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