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Kenosha committee hears Tavern League warning that new state bartender license can bypass municipal vetting
Summary
At the Feb. 8 Kenosha Licenses & Permits meeting, a Tavern League representative warned that a statewide operator (bartender) license may allow applicants denied locally to obtain state authorization; the committee discussed asking state legislators to close perceived loopholes but took no formal vote on a resolution.
On Feb. 8 the Kenosha Licenses & Permits Committee heard from industry representatives who warned that a recently created statewide bartender/operator license could let applicants denied by a city obtain state authorization and work across municipalities.
Art De Bearer, who gave his address for the record, told the committee that some applicants denied locally went to the state and "now he has a bartender's license, allegedly," and that the statewide license appeared to be "skating over the municipalities" rather than serving its intended purpose. A separate representative described the role as intended to serve workers who travel between nearby municipalities and not as a "second chance for people that were denied" at the local level.
Committee members raised legislative intent as the basis for action. One member suggested the committee could pass a resolution "to speak to another legislative body" explaining local concerns and asking for either regulatory enforcement or legislative changes. Another committee member proposed a searchable database at the state level of individuals who were denied municipal licenses so state reviewers could cross-check prior municipal rejections before issuing a statewide license.
City staff and the Tavern League representative discussed practical next steps: the Tavern League offered to continue working with the committee and to provide information, and committee members said they would consider drafting a resolution to forward to state legislators if they deemed local practices were being undercut.
No formal committee vote on a resolution occurred during the Feb. 8 meeting. Committee members invited the Tavern League to help craft any proposed resolution and to provide further information to support a legislative or regulatory request.
Why it matters: municipal licensing determinations are one of the local controls communities use to vet individuals serving alcohol on premises. If a state-level license process does not surface prior municipal denials, local officials said it could weaken those safeguards. The committee’s next step is internal: staff and members will consider drafting a resolution to notify state legislators and seek clarifying statutory or regulatory language.
The committee’s discussion was framed as exploratory; the Tavern League representative was asked to continue working with staff if the committee pursues a resolution.
