Hastings amends liquor license code to include noncitizens

Until last week, Hastings barred people who weren't U.S. citizens or resident aliens from obtaining a liquor license.

But that changed Tuesday, following a City Council vote to remove citizenship as a requirement after holding two public hearings on the issue.

The change was spurred after a person who was not a citizen inquired this summer about applying for a license, according to Deputy Clerk Adeline Schroeder.

Schroeder, who could not share details on the potential applicant, contacted City Attorney Daniel Fluegel.

The restriction "was something that probably has been there for many years and has not really been used or brought up in the past," Fluegel said. "I would imagine it's been there for 20, 30 years."

Fluegel surveyed nearby cities as well as Ramsey and Hennepin counties and found that they didn't have such restrictions. Moreover, state law doesn't require citizenship to get a retail liquor license, he said, although it does for wholesale liquor licenses.

Applicants must still complete a background check, which Fluegel said "shouldn't be problem if the individual applying has a significant contact in the U.S. and has resided in the state for at least a few years."

Schroeder said she hasn't yet received any applications.