Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board are considering new alcohol-related restrictions and public safety measures following the October 4 downtown Montgomery shootings that left multiple people injured and prompted renewed concerns over nightlife safety in the state’s capital city.
In a letter to the governor on Monday, ABC Administrator Curtis Stewart outlined several proposed rule changes and legislative ideas aimed at improving safety in entertainment districts and during large public events across Alabama. The review followed Ivey’s earlier request for the agency to evaluate how state alcohol policies could play a stronger role in preventing violence and disorder, particularly after 5 p.m. and in heavily populated or heavily traveled areas of Montgomery.
“Public safety is paramount, and the state will continue being proactive to ensure safe communities for our citizens,” Ivey said in a statement. “I appreciate Administrator Stewart evaluating how we can take commonsense steps when it comes to alcohol consumption in entertainment districts across our state. I support the immediate steps he is proposing the ABC Board take, and I look forward to further exploring possible reasonable policy changes to enhance public safety.”…