By: Jessica Lee

State legislators are authoring a bill that would expand alcohol sales at the University of Minnesota’s hockey and basketball games.

The proposal, authored by Rep. Dan Schoen, DFL-St. Paul Park, is receiving its first committee hearing Tuesday afternoon in the House of Representatives, along with nearly a dozen other alcohol-related bills.

Now, only premium ticketholders at Mariucci and Williams Arenas can have alcohol. The legislation would grant the general public access as well.

“Let’s just call it what it is and make sure people can have fair access to it,” Schoen said. “Maybe they won’t try to binge drink ahead of time…”

In addition to preventing students from drinking beforehand, he said the bill’s purpose is to increase revenue.

“There are people that deliver the beer, people that make the beer and then there is people that serve the beer as their jobs,” Schoen said. “Those things are important.”

Chair of the committee Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights said he signed onto the bill because of the success from alcohol sales at TCF Bank Stadium.

The University brought in more than $907,000 in alcohol sales at TCF Bank Stadium this season.

Gross sales for each of the Gophers’ seven home games averaged $129,610, University officials previously told the Minnesota Daily.

Another bill on the hearing’s agenda, by Rep. Michael Beard, R-Shakopee, would allow Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minn. to obtain a liquor license.

No votes are expected to be taken at the meeting, Atkins said.