Alcohol Law Revision Commission Debates Permit Quotas

The Indiana Alcohol Code Revision Commission – responsible for a potential rewrite of Indiana’s alcohol laws – debated Friday whether to change the state's alcohol permit quota system, which limits how many permits are allowed in a community.

Indiana’s alcohol permit quota system is based on population. Longtime alcohol industry lobbyist Mark Webb says the current quotas are too restrictive for some communities – particularly, he says, major college towns whose populations fluctuate as students come to school.

“Then you have to take into account their families that come on the weekends. You have to take into account all the alumni and the guests that come for weekend football games, for sporting events, whatever it is,” Webb says.

House Public Policy Committee Chair Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) says if a community wants to increase its quota, the public should vote on that.

“Within a certain distance from wherever that new establishment’s going to be because those are the people that are going to have to live with it, day in and day out," Smaltz says.

Advocates against underage drinking warn increased quotas could lead to greater alcohol abuse.