| Mandatory Carding in Indiana Now a Reality |
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Mandatory carding is a reality. Senate Bill 75, which is expected to be signed by the Governor, will be effective July 1. That means anyone selling alcohol for off-site consumption will need to be carding anyone asking to purchase alcohol - groceries, drug stores, convenience stores, package stores and more. The new law creates a Class B misdemeanor penalty for those failing to card.
Project RAD supporters, including the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, have supported mandatory carding for years - while other retailers have claimed they have sufficient "voluntary" measures in place to catch and monitor buyers who might be underage. This is a significant policy measure for Indiana.
Under the new law, the buyer will be required to show proof of an identification card with a photo that has been issued by a government entity - mainly state and federal authorities. The ID must have a photo and date of birth.
Look for more updates from Project RAD when the law becomes effective. All servers must have completed a training and education course by May 1, 2011 - a deadline that was extended by the state in SB 75.
Click here for full details on the bill. |
| Liquor on Every Corner is a Step Backwards |
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 Andrea Neal, adjunct scholar for the Indiana Policy Review Foundation and former editor of The Indianapolis Star, recently wrote: "Why is booze almost as easy to buy as bread?" As Neal points out, booze is sold virtually everywhere bread is now sold, and then some - at the local Village Panty, CVS, and Target to name a few. Now, Walgreens is also seeking approval to further saturate the market. To read Andrea Neal's full article in The Indianapolis Star, click here.
To find out if Walgreens is seeking a permit for a store near you, click here. |
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A Neighborhood Speaks Up |
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More than 50 Marion County neighborhood advocates jammed the meeting room of a local library last Thursday to share their opinion and frustration with Walgreens about putting more alcohol into their community. The executive director of the local community development corporation, two City-County councilors, and many concerned citizens attended the meeting.
Project RAD sent a special alert on the meeting to our Marion County readers. As you know, we have been monitorring Walgreens permit requests throughout the state of Indiana.
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| Indiana State Police Target Drunk Drivers This Month |
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 By the time you read this newsletter, State Police will be participating in Operation Pullover Blitz 62. The Terre Haute newspaper reported a statewide blitz focusing on identifying and citing impaired drivers through March 21.
Indiana State Police and more than 250 other law enforcement agencies received funding from the Traffic Safety Division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute that will allow troopers to work overtime during this dangerous time of year.
Why is this time of year so dangerous?
During March 2009, there were 41 fatalities on Indiana roadways. Twenty-four of those deaths involved a driver who was legally intoxicated. |
| Have an Idea for Us? |
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Do you have an idea you'd like to share with Project RAD? How about a community event or an online article that will be of interest to our readers? Just send it to editor@ProjectRAD.com and thanks for your submission. FYI - we also take editorials as long as we can verify and confirm authorship. |
