CA: California Ballot Initiative That Would Lower Drinking Age to 18

[timosman]

Proposed California Ballot Initiative That Would Lower Drinking Age to 18 Cleared to Collect Signatures
http://ktla.com/2015/11/04/proposed-...ct-signatures/

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

A proposed ballot initiative that would lower the minimum legal drinking age in the state from 21 to 18 has been cleared to begin collecting signatures, according to California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

If it receives enough signatures to qualify for the November 2016 ballot, voters will be able to decide whether 18- to- 20-year-olds will be able to legally purchase and consume alcohol beverages in California.

A bill establishing the national minimum drinking age to 21 was passed in 1984.

The measure’s proponent, Terrance Lynn, has 180 days — until April 26, 2016 — to collect 365,880 signatures in order for the initiative to qualify for the ballot, Padilla announced last Friday.

Lynn initially sent the proposal to Attorney General Kamala Harris on Aug. 23, 2015, a document on the office’s website showed.

On his website, Lynn explained that he proposed the initiative because, “This is about equal rights. 18 year olds have nearly every burden and privilege of adults … except the right to drink alcohol. This is a misguided aberration from 1984 that should be corrected.”

The nonprofit Mothers Against Drunk Driving opposes lowering the legal drinking age. According to the organization, more than 25,000 lives have been saved in the country since it was raised to 21.

“When states had lower legal drinking ages in the U.S., the underage drinking problem was worse. For example, before the 21 minimum legal drinking age was implemented by all states, underage drunk drivers were involved in over twice as many fatal traffic crashes as today,” MADD’s website stated.

If the measure is approved, the state would lose $200 million in federal highway funds, according to a fiscal impact on state and local governments from the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance.

It would also lead to an increase of state and local tax revenues from the sales of alcoholic beverages, possibly totaling several million dollars each year, the Secretary of State’s website stated.

While all states prohibit providing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, some have limited exceptions relating to religious reasons, lawful employment, or consent by a parent or guardian, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

[DamianTV]

Never would have expected this from Cali, especially considering Hawaii just raised legal age to smoke tobacco to 21...

[Ender]

Never would have expected this from Cali, especially considering Hawaii just raised legal age to smoke tobacco to 21...

If you're old enough to die for your country, then you should be old enough to drink and smoke.

[specsaregood]

If you're old enough to die for your country, then you should be old enough to drink and smoke.

Agreed, lets raise the age of dying for your country to 21. If an 18 year old aint mature enough to handle his drink, he sure is hell aint mature enough to sign up to kill and/or die.

[nobody's_hero]

Never would have expected this from Cali, especially considering Hawaii just raised legal age to smoke tobacco to 21...

No one ever accused liberals of being consistent. For example:

Legalize marijuana . . . but ban smoking cigarettes outdoors.

[dannno]

Never would have expected this from Cali, especially considering Hawaii just raised legal age to smoke tobacco to 21...

Hasn't passed yet.. or even gotten the signatures to get on the ballot..

But I suspect if they visit a few college campuses they could get the signatures pretty easily.

I think the question is, isn't highway funding tied to the 21 drinking age? Will California lose highway funding if this passes?

Edit: yes sorry didn't read the article yet

If the measure is approved, the state would lose $200 million in federal highway funds, according to a fiscal impact on state and local governments from the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance.

[dannno]

Agreed, lets raise the age of dying for your country to 21. If an 18 year old aint mature enough to handle his drink, he sure is hell aint mature enough to sign up to kill and/or die.

I think it has been detrimental to treat teenagers like kids for longer and longer and longer... Not that I'm a big fan of military service by any means..

[Cabal]

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 (23 U.S.C. § 158) was passed on July 17, 1984. It punished every state that allowed persons below 21 years to purchase and publicly possess alcoholic beverages by reducing its annual federal highway apportionment by ten percent. The law was later amended, lowering the penalty to eight percent from fiscal year 2012 and beyond.

I'd be surprised to see this go anywhere bearing the above in mind, quite honestly.

[amartin315]

I'd be surprised to see this go anywhere bearing the above in mind, quite honestly.

me too but look at this. this is weird.

The law was later amended, lowering the penalty to eight percent from fiscal year 2012 and beyond.

Did somebody up on capitol hill actually think going from a 10% penalty to an 8% penalty would make a difference to somebody?

[willwash]

me too but look at this. this is weird.

Did somebody up on capitol hill actually think going from a 10% penalty to an 8% penalty would make a difference to somebody?

It's just politics. A change this minor is unlikely to see much resistance in Congress or even arouse the attention of MADD. However, it gets massive "cred" with young voters for whoever sponsored it and made the penalty reduction happen.

[otherone]

The nonprofit Mothers Against Drunk Driving opposes lowering the legal drinking age. According to the organization, more than 25,000 lives have been saved in the country since it was raised to 21.

.

Just imagine all the lives that would be saved if they raised it to 25...

[DamianTV]

.

Just imagine all the lives that would be saved if they raised it to 25...

If there is power to flat out control at what age a person is "allowed" to drink, why not just use that same power to tell MAD to just shut the $#@! up and instead promote responsible drinking for everyone, regardless of age? If youre gonna drink, please dont drink too much if you intend on driving, but if you are sure you arent gonna drive, then dont, and drink as much as you want. Right? Too bad irresponsible people are gonna be irresponsible regardless of arbitrary numbers of age as applied by the law or any other groups recommending age restrictions.

[Indy Vidual]

.

Just imagine all the lives that would be saved if they raised it to 25...

Wouldn't alcohol prohibition 2.0 save even more lives?

[otherone]

Wouldn't alcohol prohibition 2.0 save even more lives?

BRILLIANT!

[otherone]

If there is power to flat out control at what age a person is "allowed" to drink, why not just use that same power to tell MAD to just shut the $#@! up and instead promote responsible drinking for everyone, regardless of age? If youre gonna drink, please dont drink too much if you intend on driving, but if you are sure you arent gonna drive, then dont, and drink as much as you want. Right? Too bad irresponsible people are gonna be irresponsible regardless of arbitrary numbers of age as applied by the law or any other groups recommending age restrictions.

Actually, a crime is only committed when damage is done, regardless of cause.
$#@! the nanny state.

[RJB]

The nonprofit Mothers Against Drunk Driving opposes lowering the legal drinking age. According to the organization, more than 25,000 lives have been saved in the country since it was raised to 21.

Maybe if we'd raise the drinking age to 120, we'll all live for f------g ever.

[farreri]

If an 18 year old aint mature enough to handle his drink, he sure is hell aint mature enough to sign up to kill and/or die.

Amen!

[farreri]

Legalize marijuana . . . but ban smoking cigarettes outdoors.

You're actually wrong on both accounts.

[DamianTV]

Maybe if we'd raise the drinking age to 120, we'll all live for f------g ever.

Know what else would help? Ban Carrots! Yes, the little crunchy orange sticks that grown in the ground. Scientific evidence is flat out conclusive that all people who have eaten Carrots more than 150 years ago are now dead! Therefore the solution is to BAN CARROTS! And Govt needs to be teh one to protect us from those evil $#@!ing carrots, destroyers of mankind! And we should all give Govt more money to help tell us how to live every aspect of our lives! That will save us all! :P

/total_sarcasm

(Correlation does not equal Causation...)