City officials expressed concerns Wednesday about racial discrimination in response to a tougher ID policy campus area bars initiated last summer.
The new policies require a valid driver's license or passport and do not allow those with only state ID cards to enter some bars.
City officials said driver's licenses are not accessible to some people with poor driving records or those with medical conditions who are unable to drive.
""I am in a way glad that this issue has been raised to a new level of public scrutiny… A number of alders would be interested in digging deeper into and really getting to the facts the city can take action on and address,"" said Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, there was confusion and disagreement among downtown liquor license holders about the new policy because some said it helped reduce violence while others said it was ""blatantly discriminatory, particularly for those with certain health conditions.""
Mayor Paul Soglin has gotten involved in the discourse by coordinating different city agencies to address issues regarding the ID policy.
""I appreciate that the mayor is taking this so seriously that he himself organized the meeting,"" Verveer said.
The committee also unanimously decided the Mayor's proposed house party ordinance needed additional work, because some members felt the draft was ""too broad"" and could target too many house parties.
Verveer said policy still needs to be improved, because the focus of the ordinance should be getting landlords to pay attention to rowdy tenants instead of just ignoring problematic renters.
""The way it's currently written it would really cover every type of house party imaginable downtown in the campus area, and that isn't the intention,"" Verveer said.
In addition, Madison Fresh Market owner Jeff Maurer applied for another license to sell beer and wine to advance the plan for the grocery store to expand to a second floor, where he said cooking classes, beer and wine tastings and public gatherings and meetings will be held.
