Crowley council adopts ordinance aligning local liquor rules with state law, tightens regulation of venues allowing on-site consumption

The Crowley City Council on a unanimous voice or roll-call vote adopted Ordinance No. 15-52 to amend Chapter 3 (Alcoholic Beverages) of the city code, raising the legal drinking age to 21 and regulating establishments that allow on-site consumption in the same manner as licensed bars.

Council members said the measure is intended to bring the city's code into conformity with state law and to close a regulatory gap for businesses that charge a cover, membership or fee and permit patrons to bring alcohol on site. An unidentified council or staff speaker summarized the change: "So...what this ordinance does is it takes, look, businesses that are essentially operating as a bar other than the fact that they're just not serving the alcohol on the premises. It just allows them to be regulated in the same manner as a bar would." The ordinance sets a sale cutoff at 2:00 a.m. with a 30-minute consumption period ending at 2:30 a.m.

The council clarified that individuals aged 18–20 may attend events at such establishments under the revised text but are not permitted to consume alcohol. The change removes proposed language that would have broadly allowed 18-year-olds inside venues where alcohol is present.

The ordinance was offered for adoption by a council member as recorded in the meeting minutes and was approved following a roll-call vote. The clerk recorded the required motion and subsequent roll-call; the mayor announced, "Motion carries." No members of the public spoke in favor at the hearing; there were also no recorded speakers in formal opposition during the council's vote.

The ordinance amends several sections of the city code (listed in the ordinance as sections 3-1, 3-3, 3-5, 3-6, 3-23-23, 3-26 and 3-27) and includes standard severability and repeal language. The city clerk will incorporate the ordinance into the municipal code and publish it as required by law.