Opinion ID: 480643
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Validity of the Ordinance

Text: 16 If the Alabama Supreme Court concludes that the State did not preempt the City's alleged power to regulate what activities may occur in liquor licensees' establishments, then the third issue for certification arises: whether the Ordinance in question, in particular the prohibition on topless dancing, is a valid exercise of that power or whether it is inconsistent with the Alabama statutory and regulatory scheme governing such establishments. The Alabama Code expressly states that once a liquor license has been granted, the liquor licensee may permit dancing or provide any other lawful entertainment on the licensed premises. Ala.Code Sec. 28-3A-11. One possible interpretation of this Section is that the term lawful entertainment means lawful in general, not simply lawful in liquor licensees' establishments. Under this interpretation, a municipality could declare that a particular type of activity is unlawful in general, with the result that the activity also would be unlawful in establishments that serve liquor, but it could not specifically prohibit otherwise lawful activities in liquor licensees' establishments. Therefore, the resolution of the third issue may depend in part on whether the Alabama Supreme Court concludes that the Alabama State Legislature intended the term lawful to include municipal ordinances that specifically regulate what activities are permissible in liquor licensees' establishments. The validity of the Ordinance also will depend on whether the Alabama Supreme Court determines that it is consistent with the Alabama statutory and regulatory scheme governing liquor licensees for a municipality to impose fines and jail sentences as penalties for violating an ordinance regulating such establishments or whether the court concludes that municipalities are restricted to denying or revoking the liquor license of any establishment that permits forbidden activity. 17