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SD-54. Liquor Liability Insurance <br />Limits <br />Issue: Minn. Stat. § 340A.409 requires that <br />"no retail license may be issued, maintained <br />or renewed unless the applicant <br />demonstrates proof of financial <br />responsibility with regard to liability <br />imposed by Minn. Stat. § 340A.801" <br />relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages. <br />The minimum limits of liability currently in <br />statute require $50,000 of coverage because <br />of bodily injury to any one person in any <br />one occurrence, $100,000 because of bodily <br />injury to two or more persons in any one <br />occurrence, $10,000 because of injury to or <br />destruction of property of others in any one <br />occurrence, $50,000 for loss of means of <br />support of any one person in any one <br />occurrence, $100,000 for loss of means of <br />support of two or more persons in any one <br />occurrence, $50,000 for other pecuniary loss <br />of any one person in any one occurrence, <br />and $100,000 for other pecuniary loss of two <br />or more persons in any one occurrence. <br />These limits have not been updated since at <br />least 1985 and would provide very little <br />relief to persons impacted by an intoxicated <br />person. While cities can choose to require <br />higher limits of liability than required by <br />statute, it may create competitive imbalance <br />between communities if the limits are not <br />consistent. <br />Response: The minimum limits in Minn. <br />Stat. § 340A.409 should be increased to <br />$500,000 per occurrence with a $500,000 <br />annual aggregate. <br />SD-55. On -Sale Liquor or Wine <br />Licenses to Cultural Centers <br />Issue: Cultural centers are not one of the <br />qualifying entities to which municipalities <br />49 <br />may issue on -sale liquor or wine licenses. <br />Several cultural centers have received <br />special legislation that allows their <br />municipalities to issue on -sale liquor or wine <br />licenses to them. This practice interferes <br />with the ability of municipalities to control <br />the placement and operating manner of these <br />entities. <br />Response: The Legislature should <br />authorize municipalities to issue on -sale <br />liquor or wine licenses to cultural centers, <br />subject to restrictions imposed by the <br />municipality. <br />SD-56. Liquor Licensing of Non - <br />Contiguous Spaces <br />Issue: During the COVID-19 outbreak, <br />restaurants and bars have been able to open <br />at limited capacity for in -person service with <br />spacing requirements between tables both <br />inside and outside. To provide opportunities <br />for businesses to open and serve the public, <br />many cities allowed for non-contiguous <br />spacing of tables outside despite <br />requirements outlined in Minn. Stat. § <br />340A.410, subd 7. This has allowed <br />customers to go to restaurants and bars and <br />remain outside, which has been deemed <br />preferable to dining indoors in mitigating the <br />risk of exposure to the virus. <br />Response: The increased flexibility has <br />allowed businesses and cities to partner in <br />response to the pandemic and city <br />residents have enjoyed increased seating <br />options. The League of Minnesota Cities <br />supports amending Minn. Stat. § <br />340A.410 to allow for licensing of spaces <br />that are not compact and contiguous <br />during and after the pandemic. <br />