House adopts local-option bill allowing 'social districts' with amendment after debate on public safety and economic benefits

The New Hampshire House on March 30 approved HB 467, an enabling bill that lets cities and towns create local "social districts" where patrons can carry open containers of legally purchased alcoholic beverages within defined areas, adopting floor amendment 1084H. Proponents said the measure is a local-option economic development tool; opponents warned it would increase demands on law enforcement and could raise municipal costs.

Representative Melvin Selby spoke against the bill on the House floor, saying allowing open containers "will require more public safety measures and law enforcement," and that the added monitoring would "require municipalities to allocate additional tax dollars" for traffic control and enforcement. "Allowing alcoholic beverages in public spaces will create a bad…