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Bill would allow minors to serve alcohol at Iowa restaurants

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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A three-member subcommittee of Iowa House lawmakers this week advanced a bill that would allow Iowa restaurant workers under the age of 18 to serve alcohol.


House File 14 (https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=HF14&ga=90), filed by Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, eliminates the age for serving or selling alcohol in taverns and restaurants. The bill removes the age restriction for all retail establishments licensed to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption.


Wills, though, said it’s not his intent to lower the age for serving or selling alcohol in bars and taverns from 18.


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“It’s kind of a silly law that we have that minors cannot carry drinks from the bar to the table,” Wills said. “But, if that they don’t drink that drink, the minor can pick up that full drink and bring it back to the kitchen to dispose of it. … It’s a workforce issue, because (restaurants that serve alcohol) can’t hire minors because they can only do part of the job.”


The Iowa Restaurant Association and Iowa Hotel & Lodging Association support the bill.


David Adelman, a lobbyist who represents the Iowa Travel Industry Partners, said the bill addresses workforce issues within Iowa’s hospitality and tourism industry. Many small businesses are having a hard time finding workers. Allowing teens under the age of 18 to serve or sell alcohol would give restaurants more options amid staffing shortages, he said.


“We believe it can be done in a responsible manner,” Adelman said.


Rep. John Forbes, D-Urbandale, said he’s concerned about having teens as young 14 or 15 years old serving alcohol as oppose to adults, and questioned the liability and insurance issues that arise for businesses, particularly if they serve someone underage.


“The pressure being put on an individual like that, there could be pressure from an individual to maybe try to get them to serve them underage,” Forbes said, adding “children serving alcohol in my mind sends the wrong message.”


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Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta, who co-owns a bar and grill, agreed that the bill as written is too “broad and vague,” but advanced the bill to continue the discussion and work on it in committee.


“I think there are some things we can do to help with the workforce shortage,” Lundgren said, noting her children grew up working in the family’s restaurant but couldn’t take an open bottle of beer over to a table.


“I think we do have training that is available through many resources that, you know, we would hold those children who decided and parents who decided to allow then to work in this industry accountable,” she said. “And, make sure that there is supervision, which really isn’t really spelled out here. I certainly wouldn’t hire a 14-year-old to serve (drinks).”

 
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This is a no brainer IMHO considering where we're at with staffing issues in the industry.

That said, I've always thought it was dumb anyway. Do Iowa teetotalers really think a HS kid's not going to get booze if they want it? Allowing them to serve it in a relatively controlled environment isn't going to open some huge pandoras box. It's a dumb law and written from the same fantasy cloth around pushing abstinence.

Nice job R majority! Get this done ASAP!
 
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The intent of this proposed legislation is pretty clear.

Iowa has a shortage of workers because our State chases away immigrants and others who would work in the service industry.

The old Republican playbook..."If you can't find people/workers to meet your standards, you lower your standards".
First it was healthcare and nursing homes, then childcare requirements, then teachers/aides, and now bar and restaurant workers.

Just like Mississippi South.

Congrats Iowans for electing the Party of family values.
 
The intent of this proposed legislation is pretty clear.

Iowa has a shortage of workers because our State chases away immigrants and others who would work in the service industry.

The old Republican playbook..."If you can't find people/workers to meet your standards, you lower your standards".
First it was healthcare and nursing homes, then childcare requirements, then teachers/aides, and now bar and restaurant workers.

Just like Mississippi South.

Congrats Iowans for electing the Party of family values.
For restaurants it's a standard that probably needed removing. Standards for teaching, on the other hand, have gotten shockingly low in Iowa. It's like all Kimmy wants anymore is a warm body to teach our kids. Or simply to give that money to a private business for them to solve and try to wash her hands from the problem altogether.
 
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The intent of this proposed legislation is pretty clear.

Iowa has a shortage of workers because our State chases away immigrants and others who would work in the service industry.

The old Republican playbook..."If you can't find people/workers to meet your standards, you lower your standards".
First it was healthcare and nursing homes, then childcare requirements, then teachers/aides, and now bar and restaurant workers.

Just like Mississippi South.

Congrats Iowans for electing the Party of family values.
Staffing shortages in restaurants have been a nationwide problem since we started emerging from pandemic lockdowns.
 
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This is surprising….I would have assumed the GOP would have solved the issue by banning alcohol.
 
This is a no brainer IMHO considering where we're at with staffing issues in the industry.

That said, I've always thought it was dumb anyway. Do Iowa teetotalers really think a HS kid's not going to get booze if they want it? Allowing them to serve it in a relatively controlled environment isn't going to open some huge pandoras box. It's a dumb law and written from the same fantasy cloth around pushing abstinence.

Nice job R majority! Get this done ASAP!
And many of the kids grow up fetching dad cold beers from the time they can walk.
 
Staffing shortages in restaurants have been a nationwide problem since we started emerging from pandemic lockdowns.
Doesn't change the fact that Iowa lawmakers are continually lowering standards across numerous industries and professions.

But continue making excuses.

What's next? Lower admissions to schools? Eliminate background checks for all potential State hirings? Maybe Dim Kim could just appoint any friends to the various committees without being qualified?

Never mind, she's already done that last item.
 
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Doesn't change the fact that Iowa lawmakers are continually lowering standards across numerous industries and professions.

But continue making excuses.

What's next? Lower admissions to schools? Eliminate background checks for all potential State hirings? Maybe Dim Kim could just appoint any friends to the various committees without being qualified?

Never mind, she's already done that last item.
There's a lot of things to criticize the Iowa lawmakers about, but I feel like this one isn't it.
 
Doesn't change the fact that Iowa lawmakers are continually lowering standards across numerous industries and professions.

But continue making excuses.

What's next? Lower admissions to schools? Eliminate background checks for all potential State hirings? Maybe Dim Kim could just appoint any friends to the various committees without being qualified?

Never mind, she's already done that last item.
One thing that seems clear to me is that Reynolds is incapable of solving big problems. I think part of her reason for pushing for private schools is that she has no idea how to improve education in Iowa so her best solution is to hope somebody else can.
 
Iowa has a shortage of workers because our State chases away immigrants and others who would work in the service industry.


I prefer servers who can speak English. I don't want to try and explain that there's something wrong with my order to someone who doesn't know what the hell I'm saying.

Who are the "others" that the state is chasing away?
 
I prefer servers who can speak English. I don't want to try and explain that there's something wrong with my order to someone who doesn't know what the hell I'm saying.

Who are the "others" that the state is chasing away?
Anyone ESL.
 
I’m old enough to remember when you were critical of corporate farms in Iowa hiring undocumented workers like Christhian Rivera.
My beef with that was the owner of that LLC being a Branstad/Reynolds guy and IFB leader.

I favor going after the owners who hire illegals first.

Just to clarify your confusion.
 
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