Calif. Alcohol Self-Checkout Bill Dropped

A California lawmaker has pulled a bill that would have banned alcohol sales via self-service checkouts but said he would reintroduce the measure next year, the Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 17.

The measure, sponsored by Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, is thought to have enough support for passage, but the lawmaker wants to get backing from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as well. Supporters of the bill say it would prevent underage youth and intoxicated individuals from easily buying alcohol at stores.

“The governor was intrigued by the legislation but wanted more information about how people can bypass the checkout systems,” said De La Torre. “I couldn't get it together before the recess.”

Groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Marin Institute support the legislation, but some large grocery chains have opposed it, as have supermarkets like Fresh & Easy, which only has self-service checkouts.

The state already bans sales of cigarettes, spray paint, and some medications at self-service checkouts. The machines are supposed to stop a transaction and alert an employee to check IDs when an alcohol purchase is attempted, but researchers recently found that the system fails about 20 percent of the time.