Beer keg registration signed into law - mba

15 Mar 2002

Star Tribune
Beer keg registration signed into law
Published Mar 15, 2002
Beginning in August, all beer kegs sold in
Minnesota must be registered by liquor
stores in a new effort to keep alcohol away
from minors.
Gov. Jesse Ventura signed a bill Wednesday
Wednesday enacting the requirement, which
had been sought for years by Mothers
Against Drunk Driving and anti-youth-drinking
groups but blocked until recently by liquor
industry opposition.
The law will require liquor stores to file the
names and signatures of buyers of 7-gallon
and larger beer kegs and label them with
registration numbers, the retailer's name,
address and telephone number and the date
and time of purchase.
Police say they often break up "kegger"
parties of underage drinkers but cannot
trace who provided the beer. Keg tags will
discourage adults from the most common
means of furnishing alcohol to minors,
proponents say.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve Dehler,
R-St. Joseph, was approved 114 to 20 by
the House last year and 60 to 0 by the
Senate last Friday.
-- Conrad deFiebre