Brief (1)
The bill would amend the Liquor Control Act and the Club and Drinking Establishment Act to require that liquor stores, microbreweries, farm wineries, clubs, and drinking establishments licensed after the effective date of the act be at least 200 yards (property line to property line) from an established school, college, or church. The new restriction would not apply to those entities that were licensed prior to the effective date of the bill. The restriction also would not apply if the school, college, or church is established after the liquor establishment is licensed.
Under existing law, liquor stores cannot be located within 200 feet of a school, college, or church. Current law does not include a similar provision for clubs and drinking establishments.
Background
The bill was introduced by Representative Jenkins at the request of constituents who presented testimony in favor of the bill at the hearing before the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs. Representative Judy Morrison presented testimony indicating that the proximity of liquor licensees to some schools and to the Johnson County Mental Health Center were problems for some of her constituents.
A representative of a liquor retailer in Johnson County presented testimony in opposition to the bill.
A representative of the Kansas Retail Liquor Dealers Association presented questions about the bill in her testimony and stated that the Association had not taken a formal position on the bill at the time of the House Committee hearing.
The House Committee amended the bill to clarify the "grandfather" provision for licensed premises that revert to another use for a period of time before being relicensed.
The Division of the Budget's fiscal note for the bill states that representatives of cities and counties and the Department of Revenue have identified no fiscal impact attributable to the bill.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html