Police using other means, while social host ordinance gets worked out in Madison

Adults providing alcohol for underage will still be punished.

Local police are hopeful for the efforts lawmakers are putting into fixing the so-called social host loophole in state law.  

A case last year in Fond du Lac., Wis. led to an appeals court ruling a social host ordinance there was unenforceable because it wasn’t consistent with state law.

That has impacted other cities in the state, like La Crosse.

“The social host ordinance is on hold,” La Crosse police sergeant Tom Walsh said. “We are waiting on the legislation down in Madison to get that back up and going again.”

While they wait, police will continue to enforce laws surrounding underage drinking.

“The message that we need to get out there is that underage parties, where adults are supplying them alcohol, we can still take enforcement action in regards to them providing them alcohol,” Walsh said.

More than fifty cities, including La Crosse, have social hosting ordinances on hold because of last year’s court ruling.  

“It’s just another tool to add to our tool chest,” Walsh said. “Ultimately, we’ve got these parties that go on and this provides us with another avenue to be able to take enforcement action to those who are serving alcohol to underage people.”

Democrats and Republicans in Madison have signed onto a bill that will fix the hosting loophole.