Iowa Alcoholic Beverage Division Set to Host Third Licensing Reform Meeting in Davenport on November

A recent Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling relating to convenience stores should draw the attention of PMCI members. In a 5-4 decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the seller of alcohol, in this case a convenience store employee, has a duty to exercise reasonable care not to sell liquor to a noticeably intoxicated person, even if the sale is for consumption off premises. The close decision opens up the possibility for frequent lawsuits against convenience stores in Oklahoma who sold alcohol for off-premise consumption to someone who appeared to be intoxicated and subsequently becomes involved in an accident resulting in bodily injury to themselves or others.

For convenience stores and their employees, the definition applied by the court to “exercising reasonable care” will ultimately determine the scope of liability placed on convenience stores that sell alcohol in Oklahoma.

Decisions like the one handed-down by the Oklahoma Supreme Court tend to travel. PMCI is closely monitoring an on-going initiative by the state of Iowa’s Alcoholic Beverages Division (Iowa ABD) to review its Alcoholic Beverage Control statutes found in Chapter 123 of the Iowa Code. The third licensing reform meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday, November 2^nd, 2017, at the Rhythm City Casino in Davenport, Iowa from 1pm – 4pm. All the Iowa ABD Licensing Reform meetings are open to the public.Through the first two licensing reform meetings, discussions have largely centered around finding efficiencies within the licensing process and eliminating antiquated regulations. However, brief discussions have crept into the meetings surrounding licensing fees, implementing more local control into the licensing process, and strengthening the penalties available to regulators and applicable to licensees. PMCI will continue to monitor this initiative as it continues to move through the process. The schedule for future Iowa ABD Licensing Reform Meetings is as follows:

• November 30, 2017: Waterloo, Iowa (location TBD)
• December 14, 2017: Carroll, Iowa (location TBD)
• December 28, 2017: 1:00 – 4:00p.m., State Capitol (room 103), Des Moines