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How a new alcohol law could boost Lawrence festivals
▶ ANGIE BALDELOMAR @AngieBaldelomar
A recently passed bill might help festivals and summer events promote Lawrence by allowing the consumption of alcoholic beverages in designated common consumption areas.
Earlier this month, Gov. Sam Brownback signed into law a bill that would allow counties and cities to choose areas for consumption of alcohol outside bars and restaurants that sell it.
As it is, Lawrence does not allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages in any public street, sidewalk alley, highway, road or public parking lot.
Sgt. Amy Rhoads, Public Affairs officer from the Lawrence Police Department, said that as of now, Lawrence has no ordinance up
for consideration regarding the adoption of this bill, so no changes are expected for the current ordinances on alcohol consumption in public areas.
"This bill does not immediately change anything in Lawrence unless the City takes advantage of the language allowing it to adopt an ordinance," she said in an email.
tle more time to plan for it, might lead us to talk to the bars," he said.
Anything that brings more people to the city and gives more freedom to the people here to enjoy themselves responsibly, I think that that's a win for the city."
Under this bill, these designated consumption areas can be created for special events such as festivals.
Quinton Cheney, one of the Lawrence Field Day Fest organizers, said a bill like this could help improve the experience of festivals like the one he organizes.
"Knowing something like that was a possibility, especially if it's going to be a possibility in years going forward, and we have a lit-
Quinton Cheney Lawrence Field Day Fest organizer
Cheney said the implementation of this bill could improve festival goers' experience.
Lawrence Field Day Fest, in its sixth year, celebrates local music by bringing together more than 100 bands from Lawrence, Kansas City and Topeka.
Photo illustration/KANSAN
"They could take their drinks with them and finish it on the way to the next venue," Cheney said.
To him, an implementation of this bill would be not only possible now, but also beneficial for the city.
"One of the things that makes Lawrence what it is is live entertainment," he
said. "Anything that brings more people to the city and gives more freedom to the people here to enjoy themselves responsibly, I think that that's a win for the city."
New campus carry info suggests more training to come
▶ CHANDLER BOESE
@Chandler_Boese
Just days before concealed carry was legalized on campus, the University released a few more details about the implementation of this policy.
On Thursday, June 22 the University posted a policy online that gives the implementation procedures for concealed carry at the Lawrence campus. According to the notes on the procedures, they were posted in conjunction with the University's official weapons
policy.
As of Saturday, anyone over the age of 21 is allowed to carry a concealed weapon on the University's campus and in any buildings, unless they are equipped with adequate security measures. This change is the result of a 2013 state law, which the University had been exempted from for four years.
The implementation procedures give more details to the University's plans regarding adequate security measures, training and communication.
In the training portion of
Though the University has previously held information sessions on campus carry and the change is a topic of discussion at freshman orientation, the University has previously not announced any plans for any sort of mandatory all-student training.
the policy, it states that "all faculty, staff, and students are required to receive training concerning the University-Wide Weapons Policy and these Procedures."
Not only will large athletic events be given a permanent exemption to weapons,
Under the law, both of these will require adequate security measures, which include metal detectors and security guards. KU Athletics has previously announced plans to purchase this equipment, but the Yoder campus has not.
The procedures also say that individuals or groups holding an event on the Lawrence campus can request adequate security measures through an ap-
but so will the entire Law Enforcement Training Center that the University operates in Yoder.
plication. There are specific guidelines on who can fill out the applications, what they must include, etc.
The communications portion of the procedures state that "The University shall widely distribute the University-Wide Weapons Policy and these Procedures to its faculty, staff, and students and shall prominently publish the University-Wide Weapons Policy and Procedures in the University's Policy Library and on a webpage dedicated to the carrying of concealed handguns on University campus
The link was not added onto the University's concealed carry information site, concealedcarry.ku.edu until this past Wednesday June 28.
premises."
The Kansan had previously requested access to further details on the implementation of concealed carry on the Lawrence campus and had been denied. Spokespeople from the University's, Public Affairs Office have not commented on whether or not these procedures were related to that request.