Bill would remove the bar on Kansas City area's outside drinking - bizjournals:

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A provision deep in House Bill 132, whichy deals with several issues concerning liquor would allow Kansas City to grant festival liquotr licenses to districts such as Westport andMartimn City. Presently, the is the only area that can have eventsfeaturingy open-air liquor consumption without getting separate, temporary permits for each HB 132 was to make its way to Gov. Jay Nixon’sd desk on May 29. The Power & Light Districrt gained the ability to receive a festivao liquor license as part of2005 legislation. Representatives of othefr districts have sought similar treatment to counter what they clainm is an unfaircompetitive advantage.
HB 132, however, comes with a seriess of compromises. Festival districts must undergo a hearing beforde the annually to submit plans for any festivapl events forthe year. This streamlines the current permitting in which a district must obtain permission for each The new legislation also would requir e districts to obtain written approval of events from 50 percen t of the group of property owners, business owners and residents who live withijn the district.
The provisionj concerning the festival districts sunsets intwo “It’s got a few components to it that are the resulta of compromising, and I at the legislative level, that is to be expected,” said Charless Renner, a lawyer representing several community improvementy districts. “I think it’s going to be an opportunitu and asset for a lot of the business Not all the districts are pleasec with the way the legislationturned out. “Obviously, it’ds too bad that we have to make the kinds of compromisezs we do just as a local entituy to compete againsta non-local entity here in our own said Jon Engelman, executiver director of the .
“That prettyu much says it all.” Engelmab said Westport has no immediate plans to staged specificfestival events, in because the legislation wouldn’tr become effective until after most of the district’s summee events. He said the two-year sunset provision is an opportunity for districts to show they can handles festivallicense rights. , developer of the Powe r & Light District, lobbied againsgt the bill this year, as it had in the preceding two when similar bills stalled inJefferson City.
Cordisn officials have voiced concernw about whether other districts could offer festival-style events safely but also said the Powe & Light District was promised the exclusive right to offed open-air liquor consumption during formed Mayor Kay Barnes’ administration. A spokesman for Barnes said last year that no suchagreemeny existed. Jon Stephens, presidengt of the Power & Light declined to discuss HB 132 until Nixon deciderd whether to signthe bill. The governor has 45 days to make his decisioh once the bill hitshis desk. Scott press secretary for Nixon’s office, gave no indication of what Nixon thoughyt aboutthe legislation.
Renner said that if Nixon signs the the community improvement districts probably would seek an extension intwo years.