ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION - 2025
COMMITTEE STATEMENT
LB186
Hearing Date: Monday February 03, 2025
Committee On: General Affairs
Introducer: Dover
One Liner: Change provisions relating to entertainment districts under the Nebraska Liquor Control Act
Roll Call Vote - Final Committee Action:
Advanced to General File
Vote Results:
Aye: 8 Senators Holdcroft, Andersen, Cavanaugh, J., Clouse, DeKay, Quick,
Rountree, Storm
Nay:
Absent:
Present Not Voting:
Testimony:
Proponents: Representing:
Senator Robert Dover Opening Presenter
Danielle Myers-Noelle City of Norfolk
Christy Abraham League of Nebraska Municipalities
Josh Eickmeier Mayor of Seward, NE
Angie Stenger Growing Together Northeast Nebraska
Traci Jeffrey Visit Norfolk and Nebraska Travel Association
Opponents: Representing:
Hobert Rupe Nebraska Liquor Control Commission
Neutral: Representing:
* ADA Accommodation Written Testimony
Summary of purpose and/or changes:
LB 186 amends section 53-123.17 of the Nebraska Liquor Control Act, pertaining to entertainment district licenses.
The bill stipulates that the consumption of alcoholic liquor in designated commons areas within entertainment districts
is only permitted during the hours authorized for on-premise alcohol sales and when food service is available in the
commons area or is offered for sale by at least one entertainment district license holder. The bill also changes the
meaning of commons area so that there are separate definitions for cities of the primary class or a city of the
metropolitan class compared to a city of the first class, a city of the second class, a village, or the unincorporated
portion of a county. Finally, the bill contains an emergency clause.
SECTION BY SECTION SUMMARY
Committee Statement: LB186
General Affairs Committee
Page 1 17b4f7e14502c50bf5767663be6386ab Section 1: Amends various subsections within 53-123.17 by adding new language to subsection two,
stating at least one holder of an entertainment district license to make food service available
for sale in the commons area of a licensed entertainment district.
Subsection three clears up a grammatical error.
Subsection eleven separates the definition of “Commons Area” into two subdivisions, by subdivision
A, a primary class or a city of the metropolitan area and by a new subdivision B, a city of the
first class, a city of the second class, a village, or the unincorporated portion of a county.
Subdivision A retains the original definition of commons area, that is:
(I) Within an entertainment district designated by a local governing body;
(II) Shared by authorized licensees with entertainment district licenses;
(III) Abutting the licensed premises of such licensees;
(IV) Having limited pedestrian accessibility by use of a physical barrier, either on a
permanent or temporary basis; and
(V) Closed to vehicular traffic when used as a commons area.
The new subdivision B includes language, defining a commons area as:
(I) Within an entertainment district designated by a local governing body;
(II) Shared by authorized licensees with entertainment district licenses;
(III) Abutting the licensed premises of such licensees; and
(IV) An area with reasonable safety measures in place to protect pedestrians, including
signage, lighting, reduced motor vehicle speeds when motor vehicles will be in close
proximity to pedestrians, and
(V) A prohibition on carrying open alcoholic liquor
containers and consuming alcoholic liquor on any open street or highway except when
necessary to cross the open street or highway at a designated crosswalk.
Section 2: Repealer.
Section 3: Emergency clause.
Rick Holdcroft, Chairperson
Committee Statement: LB186
General Affairs Committee
Page 2 17b4f7e14502c50bf5767663be6386ab