LINCOLN -- The Nebraska Legislature advanced a bill Tuesday that would take the sting out of alcohol compliance checks.
Legislative Bill 60 would prohibit minors from lying about their age while working with police on undercover enforcement operations at alcohol retailers. It also would prevent officers from drinking alcohol during the operations.
The measure advanced to the second round of debate with 25 votes, despite predictions by opponents that it would lead law enforcement agencies to abandon a tool that keeps bartenders and store clerks checking IDs.
“This bill essentially shuts down compliance checks, and I think you will see more underage drinking,” said Sen. Abbie Cornett of Bellevue, a former police officer, who failed to garner enough votes to send the bill back to committee.
Supporters of the bill, including sponsor Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha, said current regulations allowing minors to lie amount to entrapment.
“These are young people being sent in somewhere to deceive,” said Sen. Russ Karpisek of Wilber. “I don’t think that’s right. Playing ‘gotcha’ is no way to do this right.”
The Omaha Police Department, along with the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, testified against the bill when it came up last session before the General Affairs Committee.
Lobbyists for grocers, convenience stores, bars and restaurants supported the measure.
The bill would require minors working with law enforcement officers on compliance checks to answer questions truthfully from bartenders and clerks. For example, if such a minor was asked if she was at least 21, she could not lie.
Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln said the change would mean bartenders would just have to ask all young people if they are working with law enforcement. The minor would then be required to answer truthfully, which would blow the operation’s cover.
Representatives from the Omaha and Lincoln Police Departments said they would probably stop doing the checks if LB 60 passed, Coash told his fellow senators.
“There’s nothing wrong with the process that’s in place,” he said.
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