All-you-can-drink ban in La Crosse put on hold for now

Committee shelved idea despite support from former police chief.

A plan to prohibit all-you-can-drink specials in La Crosse has stalled.

Tuesday night, a city council committee essentially put the brakes on that proposal and one other meant to inhibit drinking, despite support expressed for the measures by former police chief Ed Kondracki.

“All those all-you-can-drink specials encourage people to drink as much as they can,” Kondracki said.

But business owners and others worry that new restrictions could have unintended consequences for festivals, businesses that cater weddings and other events.

There were just too many questions about the proposal that’s on hold indefinitely, along with another one that calls for more training for festival bartenders.

But Kondracki said they were all good ideas and fairly normal for La Crosse.

“You may not know it but in traveling around the country and hearing about alcohol-related issues, the city of La Crosse, based on your efforts, is often put up as a model,” he said.

The Tavern League was one group that pushed against the proposal, but Kondracki told the committee it’s what all the cool kids are doing.

“A lot of communities around the country are doing this sort of thing,” he said. “You go to a football game, a Packers game in Green Bay, you can’t walk away from the counter with more than two beers.”