Drinking Age Debate Continues
Local News
by
KDLT
last edited on
Monday, February 08, 2010
State lawmakers have introduced legislation that would lower the state drinking age to 19.
Representative Tim Rounds says the bill would limit alcohol sales for 19 and 20 year olds to private establishments, but other lawmakers are worried the bill might affect federal funding.
The legislation by Tim Rounds to allow 19-year-olds to drink brings up the age-old argument of the right age to drink.
Both sides have supporters.
Cody Craiger, 18-year-old, said, "If you can go out and fight for your country and everything and buy lottery tickets when you're 18, you should be able to drink when you're 19, and that's my opinion on it."
States lose federal highway funding if people under 21 are allowed to publicly purchase alcohol, but an exemption allows private establishments to sell to those younger.
In the bill, businesses would need to get a separate license to sell to 19 and 20-year-olds.
Governor Mike Rounds said, "Me personally, if someone asked me, if the federal government repealed all of their big government approaches to the regulation of liquor and said we're going to let the states do it, I would have no objection to having it be at the age of 19."
Many South Dakotans we talked to, young and old, feel 19 is old enough to drink.
"They're going to do it. Even if you're not in the military you're still going to drink when you're underage," said Craiger.
While it seems many in the public believe in the bill, the real challenge is coming, trying to get through the state legislature.
Representative Rounds says he wants the drinking age lowered to 19 instead of 18 so that high-school students wouldn't be able to legally buy alcohol.