Freedom to Enjoy Oneself in Public Act (Law'd)

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Sponsor:  Senator Lief

Freedom to Enjoy Oneself in Public Bill

1) This act shall apply only in the District of Columbia and federal territories that do not form a part of any region.

2) Possession of open containers of alcohol, the consumption of alcohol, and public intoxication by persons eighteen years of age or older in public open space and when riding on public transportation shall no longer be prohibited. All laws prohibiting the above are hereby repealed.

3) This act shall not be construed to allow possession of open containers of alcohol, the consumption of alcohol, or public intoxication in public buildings or in private vehicles.

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While I respect your opinion on this and I support your efforts to stay sober, you have to realize that not everybody suffers from alcoholism, Fritz.

In fact, I'd say the vast majority of us don't. 

We should make legislation that helps alcoholics become and stay sober as well as get homeless people off the streets.  Denying people the right to have a drink in the street is not going to solve either of the two aforementioned problems.  It needlessly sends people to jail and costs us money.  I've lived in a country where public drunkenness and public drinking were not illegal... and there was no visible difference... other than people might have a beer with their picnic by the river on a nice spring day.

The second a drunk person has walked into a public building or accosted a passerby, they have committed a crime and can be charged for such.  But a person who has some beers and rides the bus home with a bit of a slur and the occasional stumble is not a danger to you or I and should not be treated as such.

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I think I already spoke to your point, Snowguy...I have been that drunk person on the bus, and I got in no legal trouble for it.  But I did my drinking in the bar, not on the street, or on the bus.  I have no problem with anyone having a beer by the river, and in most cases, neither does the law.  I think the restrictions that the law does place on where alcohol may be consumed, and how drunk a person may be in public, are reasonable.  They are certainly not excessive.

The law as it stands leaves a massive gray area and puts the interpretation of the law into the hands of the cops and not into the hands of the citizens.

Despite the law being laxly enforced for people "enjoying a beer by the river", some angry cop with a chip on his shoulder could immediately start causing trouble.

I think the law should be made clear.  And I think it should err on the side of giving people more personal freedom in this case.

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If anybody would like to propose amendments to this bill, please try to do so within the next 24 hours.

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Well, I'm calling this to a vote.

Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

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Aye