Bill Aimed At Problem Bars and Clubs Killed

The House Judiciary Committee yesterday killed a bill that would grant local police the authority to shut down troubled bars and nightclubs immediately after an incident and keep them closed for 72 hours.

Rep. Tina Kotek (D-Portland) has been pushing this concept for a couple sessions. After a high-profile January killing at Club 915 gave fresh impetus to the concept, Kotek and co-sponsors re-introduced a newer version of the bill that failed in the last session.

Kotek's basic concern is that the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which regulates bars and nightclubs, may not move fast enough in some cases. She and co-sponors tried hard to gain support for House Bill 3295, including agreeing to an amendment that would have caused the measure to expire or "sunset" in 2014, which is a relatively short life-span for new legislation. But the House Judiciary Committee took the side of bars and nightclubs and spiked the measure.

Here's Kotek's statement after her bill went down. The Democrat she refers to as having voted against the bill was Rep. Mike Schaufler (D-Happy Valley).

WWeek 2015

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