Boise bar owners aim to modify Idaho's old liquor laws for fair competition

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The owners of a popular bar in Boise are working to change decades-old legislation in Idaho.

Will Hay and Zack Rowland are the co-owners of Spacebar in downtown Boise. The bar has been around for over a decade, moving to their new location over a year ago near Western Proper on Idaho Street. After reopening last year, Spacebar was able to lease a liquor license. Will says that they took on a lot of debt after they were closed for a year and had to move locations, but the liquor license was helping them dig out with a shovel. After losing it last week, he says its like digging with a spoon.

Idaho's current liquor laws make it so that new liquor licenses are only issued after 1,500 new people move to a specific city in Idaho. Even with the new influx of people moving to the Valley, that isn't moving the needle very quickly. Zack estimates it could be 20 years before their number is called on the current waiting list.

The other option under Idaho law is to purchase a liquor license from someone else, but that can be a very expensive proposition. The owners say the going rate for a liquor license in Boise these days will run you around $300,000. Not exactly pocket change for a small business.

Senate Bill 1120, which passed last year, now prohibits the leasing of liquor licenses. If you own a liquor license, you can sell it once, when you are done with it, but you can no longer lease it to someone else.

Zack says that was like two steps forward, one step back. The new legislation helped clean up some of the "bad actors, who would essential extort small businesses, but it also means we can't lease a liquor license anymore."

The co-owners say this is prohibiting them from competing in a fair market, which is essential to the democratic free society we cherish here in America.

Zack and Will have proposed new legislation, one they hope will get a hearing on the Senate floor soon. The changes they want to make would open the door to many more small businesses, but would also increase the amount paid every year to the State. Will says that this will help to keep an even playing field, while also keeping people from just speculating and opening a bar because it "sounds fun." Their proposal would increase the amount from the $750 annually which it is now, to $5,000 a year. The increased income to the State would go to the general fund, ISP, infrastructure, and schools.

To see the petition, and read the Spacebar's proposal, click here.

ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmpaeTlrlwrs6iqp5lkpa%2FbrvWp5yrq12Wtq5506hkpqeUnrO6ecidmKGno2K8rbCMpaCqrZ%2Bneq2t1qxkn6eiYrOitdFmmqiloJrBqsDIqKU%3D