The Anchorage Assembly has reversed course and will no longer require that restaurants and bars check every customer’s ID before selling them alcohol. The change, approved Tuesday night, comes roughly six months after the Assembly unanimously adopted the rules, and about three months after they took effect.
Supporters of the mandatory ID checks had said the goal was to prevent minors from buying alcohol, as well as those who’ve been issued a restrictive “red-stripe” driver’s license due to a court order, usually related to alcohol offenses.
East Anchorage Assembly member Yarrow Silvers, who wasn't on the body when the rule change passed, proposed the repeal. She said the mandatory ID check doesn’t get rid of certain loopholes, and there are laws in place to make sure restaurants don’t sell alcohol to those who can’t legally buy it.
“There's training to ensure that the laws are followed, as well as the consequences of losing a liquor license if an establishment does not follow the laws,” Silvers said. “Checking the ID of a senior citizen before you serve them alcohol is not going to prevent a minor from drinking.”
Assembly members said they heard concerns from restaurants that some customers were harassing staff members over having to provide their ID. South Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson said the city shouldn’t change policy to accommodate bad actors. He also said he didn’t think enough time had passed to see if the changes had any impact.
“It's only been in place for a couple months,” Johnson said, “so I don't think anyone has any real data to point to whether or not this has had public safety benefits or if it has actually had measurable harm on the industry.”
The repeal ordinance passed by a vote of 8 to 4, with members Johnson, Felix Rivera, George Martinez and Anna Brawley opposed. Under the ordinance, liquor stores are still required to check customers’ IDs for all alcohol purchases.
