Capitol idea - banning booze in Jeff City.

While Missouri legislators found time this session to act on late-term abortions, legislative pensions, tax cuts and on ending requirements for motorcycle helmets, a proposal to ban alcohol from the statehouse was put on ice.

Although House Bill 467 never got out of committee, it attracted lots of media attention - and ink in the state's news and editorial pages. Both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Kansas City Star wrote about the measure. The Star noted that lobbyists routinely spend more than $100,000 to supply cases of suds for legislators in the statehouse.

The Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau gave the bill front-page treatment with the headline: "Bill Plans Last Call tn Capitol."

The Springfield News-Leader suggested that drinking in the statehouse is no secret, even though "a neon Budweiser sign isn't hanging outside the Missouri Capitol." In an editorial, the News-Leader praised the bill, but suggested that "like a drunk in a bar, HB 467 is having a hard time getting out of committee."

The proposal is backed by a statewide group, Friends of House Bill 467, whose members argue that the ban would improve the General Assembly's image and foster greater respect for the law. They contend that capitol visitors are shocked to see beer trucks outside the statehouse with workers wheeling dollies full of beer into law makers' offices. "Legislators get almost unlimited supplies of free beer, wine and hard liquor delivered to their capitol offices by lobbyists. Many legislators drink during their work days," said Glenn Koenen of St. Louis, who heads Gateway City efforts of Friends of House Bill 467.

"I was at the capitol at least a dozen times this session and I went to committee hearings where several legislators would easily have failed a sobriety test," noted Koenen. "Our legislators should follow the same rules as other state employees - don't drink on the job. Legislators are providing a poor example."

Current policy allows alcohol on the second, third and fourth floors of the capitol building. House Bill 467 reads: "No person shall possess or drink any alcoholic beverage in the state capitol or on the state capitol grounds."

Rep. James O'Toole, D-St. Louis, whose Miscellaneous Bills and Resolutions Committee bottled up the "no booze bill" this session, feels the proposal is not a capital idea. He opposes the prohibition measure as too restrictive.

According to O'Toole, state legislators often keep beer and other refreshments in office refrigerators, and constituents appreciate the chance to unwind with a drink after testifying or pursuing business at the statehouse.

According to Rep. Mike Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, House Bill 467 is like using a club to take care of a gnat. He said charges of legislators working under the influence are vastly overblown.

"Thirty years ago this might have had some validity, because it's my understanding the legislature was like a big fraternity house back then," said Gibbons. "These days the statehouse is like a mausoleum. There's no party atmosphere here.

"This is not a typical work place situation," added Gibbons. "If I'm working late into the night, I've been known to have a beer or two in my office. I think Rep. Foster and the other co-sponsors of HB 467 are very sincere in their belief that alcohol has no place in the capitol, but we're not looking at a scandal or a disgraceful situation.

Rep. Bill Foster, R-Poplar Bluff, said legislators have been known to drink hard liquor out of styrofoam cups on the house floor. He said school children visiting the capitol have been shooed off elevators to make way for cases of beer for delivery to house offices through the courtesy of lobbyists.

"Some legislators are arguing for the alcohol limit on drunk driving to be lowered to .08," said Foster. "Well, we ought to certainly have the same limit when it comes to passing legislation. There's no doubt in my mind that some legislators are passing bills while intoxicated."

Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Crestwood, echoed Gibbons in his opinion that HB 467 is an idea whose time came and went.

"When I first came to Jefferson City in 1983, I had a legislator ask me if I had something to drink in my office. I offered a Pepsi and he looked insulted. He came back with a case of beer," said Murphy. "Those days seem to be gone. "Times were different then," said Murphy. "Now a lot of out-state legislators are Bible-belt Republicans and they don't have any use for drinking. We've got some very serious people in the capital now. Everybody is very busy. There's not a lot of time for fun."

Emmy McClelland, R-Webster Groves, said she is lukewarm on the bill to bring prohibition back to the capitol building. She said once the legislature put the lid a few years ago on Friday night sessions running past 6 p.m., most of the problems with alcohol on the floor disappeared.

"My gut reaction is that this bill is not needed," said McClelland. "I don't support it. Once you start trying to legislate personal behavior, you open the door to all kinds of regulations on what people can, and can't do, in the capitol.

"If a legislator is abusing alcohol, the public generally finds out about it," added McClelland. "And the voters then have the option to remove that legislator from office."

Rep. Carl Hendrickson, R-South County, said he will continue to support efforts by Friends of House Bill 467. He said allowing alcohol in the statehouse is a bad example for young people and for state employees. He said allowing alcohol in the statehouse leaves the impression that lobbyists are buying votes with the booze they provide for legislators.

"This bill has been around during my three terms of office and it gets a little more support every year," said Hendrickson. "It's going to be a climb to get it passed because you've got to get a committee chair to support it, then 82 members in the house, and then you've got to deal with the senate.

"If enough constituents expressed outrage, it could get passed," noted Hendrickson. "Alcohol just doesn't belong in the work place, especially the public's work place. Even Anheuser-Busch, which used to have a beer break for workers, has cut out that practice."

Don Corrigan is a professor in the School of Communications at Webster University and he also edits two weekly newspapers