Tailgate bill splits YSU, OSU

Ohio State fears the liquor permit will add to unruliness in the campus area.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- It's The Ohio State University vs. Youngstown State University on the gridiron of the state Legislature.
The two state universities are squaring off over a proposal that would create a special liquor permit for colleges, universities and professional athletic teams to allow fans to consume alcohol in closed-off portions of their properties -- so-called tailgate lots.
YSU supports the bill, sponsored by state Rep. Kenneth A. Carano, saying it could help limit the university's exposure to lawsuits and keep alive the traditional college-football tailgate party.
"This tradition, however, is threatened because of potential lawsuits and possible legal ramifications," Ron Strollo, YSU's executive director of athletics, told the House State Government Committee on Tuesday. The panel is considering the bill from Carano, an Austintown Democrat.
Out-of-control parties
OSU, the state's largest public university, opposes the measure, saying it could contribute to the out-of-control partying that has led to disturbances in the OSU campus area.
"We ... do not oppose game-day tailgating," Vernon L. Baisden, OSU vice president and director of public safety, told the committee. "But we do oppose public drunkenness and the resulting unacceptable behavior and destruction of property."
This school year has been relatively quiet at OSU, but the university has been plagued by off-campus, alcohol-related disturbances for years.
This past fall, OSU and Columbus law-enforcement officials have cracked down on open-container violations surrounding Ohio State football games, OSU officials have said.
Terms of measure
Under the bill, an "F-7" liquor permit would be established to allow consumption of open containers of alcohol on restricted areas of university or private property.
The restricted area must be enclosed by a fence or some other barrier, and security personnel must watch over the entrance to ensure that people don't leave the area with open containers, according to the bill.
The bill does not propose to permit the sale of alcohol on the premises, and universities would not be mandated to apply for the permits.
Carano has said he introduced the measure after press reports last fall that there was a rule on the books in Ohio banning open containers of alcohol on public parking lots.
The publicity over the apparently little-known rule had made some officials at YSU nervous, leading to the bill, Carano has said.
But Ohio State officials say the bill is a bad idea for a whole host of reasons, including the potential strain on public-safety forces to police the tailgates and additional costs for fencing, signs and other equipment.
Committee comments
Some lawmakers on the committee said they didn't see problems in Carano's legislation.
"I see nothing in this legislation that encourages people to drink more," said state Rep. Sylvester Patton, a Youngstown Democrat.
"It seems like you're better off having these zones of control," said state Rep. Stephen P. Buehrer, a Delta Republican.
Committee Chairman Jim Carmichael, a Wooster Republican, said he expects a committee vote on the measure in the next few weeks. If approved by the committee, it would still need approval from the full House, the Ohio Senate and the governor.