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Politics
State calls shots on bars
A state agency says Tampa d oesn't have authority to regulate drink specials .
By JANET ZINK
Published December 15, 2006
TAMPA - The state has put the brakes on Mayor Pam Iorio's desire to do away with 3-for-1 specials and all-you-can-drink nights in Tampa bars. The authority to regulate drink specials lies with state regulators, not local governments, says an opinion from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation released Thursday. "We're disappointed with that ruling," said Bob Ruday, dean of students at the University of Tampa and vice president of the Tampa Alcohol Coalition, which has been at the center of Tampa's efforts to regulate drink specials. City Attorney David Smith said he hasn't had a chance to thoroughly review the opinion. Iorio in September proposed an ordinance that would ban such specials, and Smith wrote to Attorney General Charlie Crist asking whether the city had the right to establish the ordinance. Crist deferred the matter to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. DBPR attorney Josefina Tomayothis week wrote that Florida Beverage Law doesn't allow the city to move forward with the ordinance. But her memo noted that a study on alcohol abuse on college campuses completed by the Florida Senate committee on regulated industries last month recommended that the state law be changed to allow counties and cities to regulate drink specials, including the advertisement of drink specials. "What we're going to now do is identify state legislators who will help us with that cause," Ruday said. Florida senators Tony Hill and James King of Jacksonville, members of the committee on regulated industries, requested the study. Sen. Mike Fasano of New Port Richey, a newly appointed member of the committee, said if state law needs to be changed to allow local governments the power to regulate drink specials, he supports the measure. "If it's going to help reduce underage drinking, absolutely I'm in favor of that," he said. Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or 813 226-3401.
[Last modified December 15, 2006, 05:43:06]
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