House Defeats Plan To Allow All-night Drinking In Deadwood
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The state House has voted down a measure that would have authorized the city of Deadwood to allow liquor to be served all the time except for Christmas Day.
House lawmakers voted 39 to 29 to dismiss the proposal, which supporters called the “Destination Deadwood” bill.
Republican Rep. Tim Rounds of Pierre says his measure would have help Deadwood attract conventions, especially in off-peak months. He says the proposal would have allowed for local control over whether the expanded drinking hours would have been implemented.
Rounds says people simply go to their hotel rooms in Deadwood to drink after establishments close, so allowing expanded bar hours would offer a more controlled atmosphere.
Opponents argued successfully that there’s no need allow people to drink later into the night.