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the law is outdated and irrelevant.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."