State Rep. Jason Villalba is Fighting to Free Mavs Fans from Stupid Liquor Laws. One of Them, Anyway.

By Eric Nicholson Wed., Nov. 26 2014 at 9:34 AM

The Texas Legislature, when it meets in January, will be grappling with very serious issues. Criminal justice reform, immigration, tax policy, transportation -- lawmakers will be making decisions that will shape the state's future for years to come.

State Representative Jason Villalba of Dallas, a rising Republican star who has mostly avoided right-wing demagoguery and established himself as serious-minded policymaker, is poised to emerge as a leader in the Texas House. You will be glad to know, then, that in the coming session Villalba will be using his position to tackle the most important issue of all: the freedom to carry beer wherever you damn well please at the American Airlines Center.

For reasons we'd probably be able to enumerate through a close examination of the history of Texas liquor laws but which we will instead summarize by saying that the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is stupid, that's currently not allowed. If a Mavs fan buys a Bud Light Platinum on the AAC's Platinum level, he cannot leave the Platinum level without drinking or discarding said beer. If the same fan tries to leave the Jack Daniel's
Old No. 7 Club with a drink that includes Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 whiskey, he will be stopped. And the now-sloshed Mavs fan can't even access the newly full-service Eighteen 76 bar without leaving the building because, like we said, the TABC is stupid.

Under Villalba's bill, said drunk fan still wouldn't be allowed to wander outside with booze in hand, but he could at least circulate freely within the AAC and not be forced to watch the game on TV while he nurses his drink at the bar.

To silence any teetotalers concerned that Villalba's bill might open the door to licentiousness or, worse, rational liquor laws, the proposed law is very narrowly tailored, applying only to a "public entertainment facility"

(2) that is an arena (A) located in a county with a population of 2.2 million or more and that is adjacent to a county with a population of more than 600,000; (B) that opened in 2001; (C) with a seating capacity of not more than 22,000 on August 1, 2014; and (D) for which alcoholic beverage permits and licenses were held on the opening day of business.

As proof that such a measure can be put in place without rending society's moral fabric, look no further than the Ballpark in Arlington. Last session a nearly identical law, albeit applying only to "a stadium located in a county with a population of more than 1.6 million, constructed not later than 1994, and with a seating capacity of not less than 45,000," was passed allowing beer-drinking baseball fans to wander freely through the stadium. Yet Arlington is still boring.

Send your story tips to the author, Eric Nicholson.

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ericnicholsongenius

Hey Genius,

The TABC doesn't pass these laws, the Texas Legislature does.

the_dude47

'bout damn time, i don't frequent aa but the inanity of the booze rules is even more staggering than the attendees.

julong75218

Cuz I need the drunk who spills their beer on my feet from behind to be able to take it with them and slosh it down my back while they walk behind me with it or wait in line with it for the restroom. I can't wait for the current cultural obsession with alcohol and the need for it everywhere to subside. It's embarrassing.

ScottsMerkin topcommenter

Well if you dont like Baseball, football, water parks, six flags or a thriving downtown college bar scene, yeah Arlington is pretty boring. Whats so great about Uptown and its douchebag 30k millionaires? its not like they are welcoming people at all

ThePosterFormerlyKnownasPaul topcommenter

Just have to love some of our remaining blue laws.

I just love these laws of not quite an attainder.

Amy S

I thought this was passed in the last legislative session? I know it was a bill, and I thought it passed with no veto. I don't think it's to limit liability, but I believe different parts of the venue have different licenses with the TABC. This was probably done so areas only selling beer & wine only have to pay a 8.25% sales tax vs a 6.7% mixed beverage tax plus the sales tax in areas where hard liquor is poured with the beer and wine.

It is far more indicative of the mundanities of the liquor law in general. They are, after all, almost 80 years old.

AAC can avoid all liability of over serving by having each server go through a (approx 3 hour) Seller's Training program and getting certified.

MikeWestEast

I expect the law is as it is to limit liability on liquor licenses. If someone takes a beer from Platinum Level and gives it to a minor in the stands, whose bar is on the hook? If someone gets drunk from different beers from different bars that he never entered, who gets sued when he causes an auto accident? You can't fault the barkeep if the drunk never entered his place. Does that mean everybody gets a pass when someone possibly broke the law and gets totally wasted in a place of business? If the AAC wants to suck up all liability, that's fine. I do not think they want that kind of change.