Opinion: Baker vote trumps state law
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BAKER — A charitable bingo hall in the city can apply for a license to sell alcoholic beverages to patrons who drink on the premises, but state officials are legally bound to deny it, a recent attorney general’s opinion says.
The results of the city’s January 1997 local option election trumps the state law that authorizes charitable gambling facilities to apply for alcoholic beverage permits, the May 20 opinion says.
Voters in that election approved package sales of high- and low-alcoholic content, but turned down propositions to allow sales for consumption on the premises, except in restaurants.
The Baker City Council authorized video bingo on a 3-2 vote after a lengthy and sometimes contentious debate in May 2008.
The city has one bingo hall.
Baker City Councilman Fred O. Russell Jr., who requested the opinion, said the bingo hall licensee wants to sell beer to bingo players at the Plank Road location.
Russell said he thought the more recent law regarding video bingo might give the council leeway to allow bingo players to drink beer while they play.
“But you can’t do it, according to the attorney general,” Russell said.
He added that he might pursue the question further.
A Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Ben Williams Lane also holds bingo games and operates a bar, but the organization’s hall is outside the city limits “by half the width of the street,” Russell said.
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