If you are not of legal age and get caught with alcohol, be prepared to pay higher fines after July 1.

A new law passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Gov. Terry Branstad significantly increases the penalties for possession of alcoholic beverages by minors and for adults who supply alcohol to underage people.

Key local officials and those involved in the sale of alcohol are mixed in their reactions to the new law. Most see it as a positive step, but none believe it will put a stop to underage drinking.

The law, which goes into effect July 1, increases alcohol possession fines to $100 from $25 for 18- to 20-year olds. It also raises fines for adults who sell or give alcoholic beverages to minors from a minimum of $100 to $500. Store owners or clerks who sell alcoholic beverages to minors will be fined $1,500 instead of the $100 dollars they paid in the past.

Every business person involved in the sale of alcohol who was contacted for this story said the law will have little impact on the way they do business.

Mike Lee, store manager of Cub Foods, said the new law will not affect his business because he already has strict measures in place to prevent employees from selling alcohol to minors.

“We train. We always invite the police up to help train employees and to show the employees how to check for fake IDs. Cashiers sign a form which says if they get caught selling to minors, the cashier who sells the liquor will be terminated. It’s their job. It shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.

Tammie McElroy, food and beverage manager at the Maintenance Shop, agrees with Lee. McElroy said the new law won’t change the way that she does business because she has few problems with minors.

“We are the only club in Ames that allows minors. We have such a reputation for not serving minors that they do not try to get away with it at our business. They just know that it’s pretty useless to try,” she said.

Ames Chief of Police Dennis Ballantine said the law comes down fairly hard on young people who get caught, but he thinks the law should have been more severe on servers and licensees.

Ballantine said he thought the bill would have been more effective if it had addressed suspending or revoking the licenses of those who sell alcoholic beverages to minors.

“The people who hold liquor licenses have no fear of facing a suspension or revocation if they sell to minors. The law would have been more effective if it had addressed that,” Ballantine said.

Rich Bartmettler, manager of Applebee’s, said he thinks the law is not as tough as it could be. Applebee’s has a policy of carding people who don’t look 30 years old.

“I’m from Nebraska, and if you serve a minor there you will be fined and the state can shut your liquor license down. I’m glad to see the laws getting tougher,” he said.

Cub Food’s Mike Lee said the new law could have been more stringent. Lee said his company spoke with legislators when the new law was being developed.

“I wanted to see the fine even greater. I understand that Minnesota has a $3,000 fine for cashiers who sell cigarettes to minors,” he said.

Under the new law, the amount of money collected for fines will rise significantly, Ballantine said.

“The amount of money collected for fines is going to skyrocket,” he said. He said even though the law is a step in the right direction “It won’t take away the problem. That is going to take more than increased fines — it is going to take social changes to address this issue.”

Ames City Council Member Ann Campbell said she does not see the increased fines as a way for the government to obtain more revenue.

“I feel it is purely a punitive thing. Also, when penalties are higher, there is more litigation, and the costs for litigation rise. I see it as a way of being tougher on the use of alcohol by minors and cracking down on alcohol abuse,” she said.

Campbell said the law will make little difference in the way that local police monitor the situation.

“Their job is to enforce the law. It does not matter what the fines are, they will enforce the law. It will not change their behavior.”

Cpl. John Burnett of the Ames Police bar patrol said the law may have an impact on the number of violations he sees.

“I hope it discourages people, because they know that it is going to cost them more,” he said.

Dixie Hyde is a clinical supervisor in the emergency room of Mary Greeley Medical Center. Hyde said she sometimes cares for patients who have overdosed on alcohol.

“Those of us who have to see the worst — when we see them on life support and not breathing—realize education is not just scare tactics. [Minors] need to be responsible, especially if the new laws do come in effect.”

Hyde said the number of emergency cases increases when there are many activities going on, such as Veishea.

Mike Levine, an attorney in the dean of students office, said the law may make people more cautious.

“I do not think an increase is unwarranted. The problem I have with it is the way they enforce the laws. They do sting operations to go into stores. Sometimes they recruit people from other towns. They say they lost their ID or they say they are 21 and lie. That sounds like a real stiff increase, but it does not seem unreasonable. I assume the judges will have leeway [for deciding the fine],” he said.

Daniel C. Robinson, interim vice-president for student affairs and chairman of the Veishea Advisory Council, said he believes it is hard to predict what effect the new law will have on student social life and celebrations such as Veishea.

“I don’t think this is a major problem at greek houses. Fraternities do address the issues on campus, which explains the trend of houses going dry. In the residence halls, the problems will be smaller. The off-campus parties may be a bigger problem and the university will crack down with the help of the Ames police,” he said.

Government of the Student Body President Rob Wiese said he believes the new law will not affect most students. “The major impact will be on suppliers and OWIs. Hopefully people will catch on to being responsible,” he said. “It won’t come to dry houses as it did at the University of Iowa.”

Ballantine, who is also a member of the Veishea Advisory Council, does not think Iowa State needs to join the U of I in its ban of alcohol in all of its fraternity houses.

“We tried prohibition in the ’20s. It did not work then and it won’t work now. I would like to see some sort of voluntary compliance by the greek organizations. If the university forces, they will just move their parties off-campus. I think the fraternities will start to feel some pressure from their national headquarters and insurance companies to do something on a voluntary basis,” he said.

Over all, Ballantine said he sees no quick fixes or easy solutions to the problem of underage drinking.

“If you can figure out how we can solve this problem, let me know, ’cause we can can it and make a mint,” he said.

— Students in Journalism and Mass Communication 202 contributed to this report.