Committee hears split testimony on bill to allow alcohol sales at large municipal performing-arts and convention complexes

The House General Laws Committee on April 3 took testimony on Bill 4000, which would amend the state code to permit on-site alcohol sales at qualifying municipally owned performing-arts and convention complexes. Supporters said the measure would create parity for large public venues; opponents warned it would worsen alcohol-related harms.

Representative Mark Smith, identified in committee as the bills sponsor, said the proposal was largely tailored to add the Charleston Gaillard Center as an eligible municipally owned venue but would apply statewide to similarly sized facilities. "All we're doing is creating no matter what your position is on alcohol... let's just create an unfettered open fair marketplace," Smith said, arguing the change would help facilities that need new revenue streams to maintain large venues.

Bill details and thresholds: The bill defines a "performing arts and convention complex" as a municipally owned facility with at least 1,600 seats in the performance hall and at least 12,000 square feet of meeting/exhibition space, and that engages in tourism promotion. The bill would allow specified beer, wine and liquor service on the premises for complexes that meet those criteria.

Public-safety concerns: Laura Hudson, executive director of the South Carolina Crime Victims Council, opposed the bill and cited state alcohol-related harms in testimony. "We're number 1, number 2 in in DUI fatalities," Hudson told the committee, and she noted the state has roughly "14,000 off off premise and on premise licenses" and a strong statistical link, in her view, between alcohol availability and highway deaths. "People drive to these complexes. They go to events. They drink. They get in their cars, and they drive home, and they are a menace on the highway," she said.

Committee members pressed sponsors on server training, liability and public-safety safeguards. Representative McCravey said she would be "concerned" about over-service and victims; Representative Locke asked who operates the Gaillard and whether the governing entity is a nonprofit. Sponsor Smith said the Charleston facility is operated by the local visitors bureau (CVB) and that the bill requires the license-holder to be a nonprofit corporation that operates the complex. Smith also noted that prior liquor-liability and server-training matters had been discussed in earlier committee work and suggested existing requirements and insurance mechanisms address some concerns.

Geographic scope and examples: Smith named the Charleston Gaillard Center and the North Charleston Performing Arts Complex as examples of municipally owned facilities that meet the bills size and tourism criteria. Several members said they needed more time to review whether other venues would qualify and whether the definition was sufficiently narrow to avoid unintended consequences (for example, smaller theaters or meeting halls that should not be included).

Committee action and next steps: The committee ran out of time before completing debate on Bill 4000 and other agenda items. The chair said the committee will reconvene Tuesday to continue consideration.