Tennessee lawmakers want to ban cold beer

Lawmakers in the US state of Tennessee are trying to pass a bill to ban convenience stores from selling chilled alcoholic drinks.

The first part of the bill created by Republican representatives in the southern state would ban the sale of cold alcoholic drinks at convenience stores. Indiana is currently the only state with similar legislation, according to WSMV where this story was reported.

Its proponents think the initiative would make consumers more proactive in buying beer ahead of time to refrigerate at home, therefore lowering the risk of drink driving.

A second part of the same bill impacts on-premise drinking. The number of alcoholic drinks served in bars and restaurants would be capped unless a designated driver is present.

Republican representatives in Tennessee argue that this would put less responsibility on the shoulders of servers to decide when to stop serving people.

Representative Ron Gant, the man behind the bill, was the victim of a drunk driver crash two years ago, suffering 14 broken bones. The bill he is proposing is called the Tennessee Prevention of Drunk Driving Act.

The third part of the legislation would require law enforcement to work with the Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) when they investigate a drunk driving crash. Gant argues that it would make it easier to trace where the person obtained their beer or liquor, causing the convenience store to lose their licence.

The final part of the bill would require the ABC to report to lawmakers every two years about their findings.

The proposed bill has come up against some criticism. Nashville’s Democratic representative Justin Jones called it “ridiculous that we are moving with more urgency to ban cold beer than we are to ban weapons of war from our street”.

And Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, Republican representative for Oak Ridge, joked that “next they’ll be outlawing coffee”.