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Law forbids alder, liquor connection

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by Pratha Muthiah

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Madison City Council members learned last week of an obscure 1933 law that has the potential to put their city positions in jeopardy.

The law, passed in the Wisconsin Legislature toward the end of the Prohibition era, forbids any city or state official from doing business with anyone who holds a valid liquor license.

"No member of a City Council in Wisconsin may be engaged in an occupation that provides services to an establishment with a liquor license," said City Council President Mike Verveer, District 4 .

Council members first heard of the law when a Racine council member and commercial insurance agent, Pete Karas, was forced to resign from his position because of six clients with liquor licenses.

Karas' brother sent an e-mail about the law to all members of the Madison City Council, according to Verveer.

There are eight Madison council members who currently own or work with businesses that could have possibly had relationships with liquor-licensed establishments. Despite this, Verveer said no alders feel the need to change their business practices, as they have not run into any legal trouble as of yet.

Ald. Mark Clear, District 19, who owns a software company and works as a computer consultant, said that to his knowledge, his business has not worked with many liquor license holders at all.

"I'm speculating a bit," Clear said. "But if I had to choose between keeping that business (with people who hold liquor licenses) or my position as a council member, I would stay with the position."

Ald. Michael Schumacher, District 18, who works as a management consultant, said he has never had any relationships with someone with a liquor license, but he can see how he may have just lucked out.

"I don't plan on providing services until the law has changed, just in case," Schumacher said.

Council members appear to agree that the law is outdated and irrelevant.

"In this day and age, when so many people are connected in government and business, we need to step back and ask ourselves: what exactly was the intent of this law?" Schumacher said.

Ald. Judy Compton, District 16, said she agrees with Schumacher.

"I think the law needs to change," Compton said. "It's totally inappropriate for this day and age, and it shows its age."

Clear said he thinks the law may have made sense at some point in time, but is irrelevant to Wisconsin government today.

"It's obviously an old Prohibition era law," Clear said. "And I'm sure it made sense at the time, but it just doesn't anymore."

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Anonymous (December 13, 2007 @ 12:33am):

Obviously the lawmakers wanted to keep the alcohol industry from having a foothold on government... if only corporate lobbyists were outlawed in general..

Anonymous (December 13, 2007 @ 3:11am):

Doing business and providing services are different. You make it sound like alders cannot buy liquor. Write better. And make it funny next time, too.

Anonymous (December 16, 2007 @ 11:17am):

Finally legal grounds to remove some of those incompetent fools

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