Alcohol sales on links killed in Maine Senate

AUGUSTA – The Maine Senate killed a bill Thursday that would have allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages from mobile service bars on golf courses.

The House approved the bill, LD 133, earlier this month. But after a debate Thursday, senators voted 22-12 not to go along with the House and killed what has become a perennial bill.

The original proposal sought to allow the state Bureau of Liquor Enforcement to license golf courses to serve liquor from mobile service bars.

It was watered down to allow only the sale of beer, and to include other safeguards to prevent abuses.

Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, said the bill conflicts with state law that forbids drinking in public.

And Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, said it would take an “unbelievable number” of liquor enforcement agents “to police every hole on every course” in Maine.

Senate Democratic Leader Beverly Daggett of Augusta said the issue has become unnecessarily emotional. Daggett said allowing mobile alcohol sales would not create enforcement problems.

“All this does is monitor the problems on the golf courses with the consumption of beer,” said Sen. David Carpenter, R-Springvale.