State Lawmakers Calling for Take Out Wine, Beer Sales

UNDATED -- When state lawmakers reconvene Tuesday at the capitol one of the items they'll be talking about is whether to allow bars and restaurants to sell alcohol with their delivery and pick-up orders.

State Representative Tim O'Driscoll of Sartell says it's a concept he's been working on for a few weeks already. He says his proposal would allow for containerized beer and wine as long as the business has the proper liquor liability with their insurance company.

The first opportunity we would have to take this type of bill up would be next Tuesday.  It's a little late right now to be able to do it because there hasn't been a bill introduced and we still have some homework that needs to be done, liquor liability being chief among them.

O'Driscoll says, if it passed at the state level, his proposal would also leave it up to the local city or county for final approval for the bars and restaurants in their jurisdiction.

I don't want to go into small communities that don't maybe have the same level of law enforcement or the same kind of bumper guards in place to be able to deal with an off-sale.  Sometimes you also have communities that have municipal liquor stores and there are no other off sale options other than through the city.

Other requirements would be presenting a legal ID and only pre-payment for orders.

O'Driscoll says he's okay with either legislative action or an executive order by the Governor.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he is "totally in support of it" and he would sign it into law Tuesday.  He asked the state legislature to pass a bill as soon as possible.

He says some bar and restaurant owners that he has talked to have been able to work with their wholesalers and were able to send unopened alcohol back.