More on-site alcohol sales permitted by omnibus liquor law

The omnibus local liquor law gives legal authority for municipalities or counties to issue liquor licenses to specific organizations, locations or events.

Sponsored by Rep. Laurie Halverson (DFL-Eagan) and Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls), one provision in the law removes all restrictions on the hours of sale for on-sale liquor at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, as determined by the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

The law authorizes the city of St. Paul to issue liquor licenses to an “anchor tenant or umbrella operator for a distinct, compact, and contiguous premises which contains restaurants and closes by midnight” to allow liquor consumption anywhere within the food hall premises.

Provisions making up the bulk of the law will give legal authority for municipalities or counties to issue liquor licenses to organizations, locations or events, including the following:

• Maple Lake Ice Fishing Derby;

• Baudette Arena Association;

• Castlewood Golf Course in Forest Lake;

• Pierz Golf Course;

• St. Cloud Orthopedics Field;

• Pemberton Community Center;

• Chaska Athletic Park, other than high school amateur events, occurring each year between May 1 and Aug. 30;

• Roseville Cedarholm Golf Course; and

• Minnesota Lakes Maritime Society, doing business as the Legacy of the Lakes Museum.

In addition, the law will help quench the thirst of junior hockey league fans in Austin, Rochester, and St. Cloud by permitting beer and wine sales at the Riverside Arena, Rochester Recreation Center and St. Cloud Municipal Ice Arena.

Minneapolitans working up a thirst while visiting the city’s Downtown Commons Park, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden or Boom Island Park could wet their whistles there because the law will allow liquor sales at those three locations.

Additionally, the law prohibits Sunday alcohol delivery by a wholesaler to an on-sale licensee. It also excludes pension obligations for store employees when calculating profit or loss for a municipal liquor store for purposes of determining whether a public hearing needs to be held on whether a city should continue to operate a municipal liquor store that loses money.

The effective dates of these sections vary, and depend upon when local governments approve the liquor licenses.

HF2290/SF2130*/CH103

SF2130* / HF2290 / CH103