MONTANA
Judges doubt the legality of a new law in Montana that punishes parents if their offspring are charged with an alcohol offence. Supreme Court observers believe that courts can’t legally punish parents who have done nothing wrong and are innocent of any crime.
Prosecutors say the law may prompt legal challenge and litigation.
The law resembles an edict passed by the Communist Party in the former Soviet Union during the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, which similarly held parents responsible for the delinquent acts of their children. That law was abolished long ago. 35
NEBRASKA
Nebraska state law prohibits bars from selling beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup. 36
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Using alcohol in cooking is an essential part of being fully trained and prepared to enter the workforce as a professional chef. However, New Hampshire law prohibits alcoholic beverages from school grounds. Therefore, State Representative Jane Clemons sponsored a bill to enable culinary arts students to use alcoholic beverages in their cooking classes.
The proposed law would provide safeguards to ensure that the alcohol would not be used inappropriately and would be properly secured under lock and key when not in use for classes. It would also require parental notification that alcohol would be an ingredient permitted in cooking and baking classes.
The legislation failed. Earlier, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), had strongly objected to wine tasting being permitted in collegiate culinary classes, even though the beverage would not be swallowed. 37
NEW JERSEY
Princeton University officials confiscated T-shirts bearing slogans sympathetic to playing alcohol drinking games, in violation of students’ Constitutional rights to free speech.
“This is just censorship of speech, and the University, especially as an academic community that values academic freedom, should not be censoring speech,” said Dr. Andrew Appel, professor of computer science. “The confiscation of printed materials before they can be distributed constitutes prior restraint which is a very severe form of censorship” 5 He emphasized that “Prior restraint of a publication (the T-shirts) is really antithetical to the academic values of a university.” 38
NEW MEXICO
The Belden Tribune (NM) reports that alcohol sales to minors are a serious problem throughout the entire state of New Mexico. The editor of the paper declares that “the sheriff should wake up and catch one or two of these lawbreakers and have them hauled up before the court” to serve as examples to all others who are exploiting young people. He also urges parents to provide help to law enforcement authorities in identifying those who are providing alcohol to underage drinkers.
All of this is reported in issues of The Belden Tribune published in 1909. 39
NEW YORK
The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from level ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State. 40
NORTH DAKOTA
State law of North Dakota prohibits serving beer and pretzels at the same time in any bar or restaurant. 42
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