MISSOURI JUMPS ON BARLEYCORN EXPRESS

Although many Missourians are pretending that nothing happened, our state officially en~tered a new era the other day when Gov. Mel Carnahan signed into law SCS/HB 63, the so-called Sunday package liquor sales bill.

Thanks to a gradual whittling away of earlier enacted safeguards and precautions, Missouri now has the same kind of permissive liquor laws that were in existence during the heyday of the corrupt political interests that once ruled and dominated our state and tarnished its national image.

So thoroughly do the alcohol interests in this state rule the legislative process, House Bill 63 was not only approved and then signed into law by the governor, but it also went into effect immediately, which means that two-thirds of our elected representatives and senators had to approve the bill so that it could include an emergency clause. There was, by personal observation, virtually no input into this legislation by either the state's churches or the organizations seeking to reduce Missouri's shocking drunken driving death rate.

In their defense, perhaps both of these groups felt that any opposition they might voice would be totally ignored in the state Capitol, which provides an even more disappointing view of how little attention is paid in Jefferson City to groups and organizations that represent the best in our society. We are still unable to explain why this bill should have received the kind of legislative priority that enabled it to receive quick passage, include an emergency clause and take precedence over countless other bills that were far more important and much more significant.

This year's session had not the time nor the inclination to consider such issues as campaign reform, even though the millions of dollars that were spent in last year's elections were scandalous and threatening to representative government. Our elected officials did, however, have time to grant package liquor license holders the additional option, upon payment of a small fee, the right to sell package liquor and beer on Sunday. But, wait, House Bill 63 contained numerous other provisions and amendments, among them continued dilution of earlier enacted alcohol abuse safeguards.

This newly enacted law reduces earlier requirements for restaurants, hotels and resorts to sell liquor by the drink, and the original law has been so gutted that today it is barely recognizable. It's so full of holes you could drive a beer truck right through it and not spill an ounce. The new law also permits liquor by the drink when New Year's falls on Sunday, as well as when Independence Day and St. Patrick's Day inconveniently occur on the Sabbath. That just about covers every eventuality, enabling beer and liquor interests to have carte blanche even when the calendar deals them a Sunday holiday.

The rules of the Missouri General Assembly permit an emergency clause when, as noted above, two-thirds of its members vote their approval, and when the measure in question "is deemed necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, peace and safety and is hereby declared to be an emergency act within the meaning of the constitution." Ask your elected representative and senator if they truly believe that an emergency clause on a bill permitting additional liquor sales meet the criteria of preserving the public's health, welfare and safety. If they answer that they do, then isn't it time you got yourself a new representative or senator?

In recent years, as the state's DWI toll continued to climb and the incidence of drunken driving continued to increase, organizations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunken Driving) and other citizens' groups have sought to curtail certain practices that lead to more and more highway fatalities. For years the General Assembly, at the behest of beer industry lobbyists, refused to enact any legislation regulating driving while drinking. Until only recently, it was perfectly legal in our state to knock down several cold beers while tooling down the public's highways. Even the closing of this loophole was watered down so the full effect of prohibiting any kind of open liquor containers in a moving vehicle was rejected.

The argument for House Bill 63 seemed to be a compelling one for our elected officials: retail package liquor business is being lost to some surrounding states, notably Illinois. Grown men and women actually bought this absurdity and bowed to the liquor interests, creating additional hazards for thousands of Sunday motorists and their passengers. Approval of the law, with its emergency clause, means more Missourians have become more vulnerable to drunken drivers without the liquor interests having to wait 90 days before peddling their wares. Wouldn't it be great if the public interest had that kind of clout?