9-20-13 local law enforcement leaders oppose brown jug bill

Fond du lac area law enforcement say leaders they don’t support a measure that would allow bar owners to take underage drinkers who purchase alcohol from their businesses to court.  The bill’s main sponsor, Fond du lac Republican Senator Rick Gudex says it’s a way to ward off society’s problem with alcohol and is supported by law enforcement.  But North Fond du lac police chief Darren Pautsch says he wasn’t even made aware of the proposed bill until just recently.    " I have serious reservations about the bill,"  Pautsch told AM 1170 WFDL's Between the Lines program.  "I wasn't completely familiar with what the provisions of the bill were up until about two days ago, and at that time only became aware of it because I started asking questions and started looking for information and answers."   Pautsch says he is concerned that the bill takes bar owners off the hook.   "I have serious reservations about a bill that seems to remove any responsibility from the seller and put it all on the underage person,"  Pautsch said.  Fond du lac County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Mark Strand says the bill is not anywhere near consistent with the initiatives that are being done to try to get a handle on underage drinking.  "You're basically saying go ahead you can sell it to underage people, make money on it and if you get caught and cited the youth is going to pay your fine,"  Strand said.  "Why would we support that?"