This State Might Lower the Drinking Age to 18

It may finally be happening: That bastion of oppression and gross iniquity that is America's legal drinking age of 21 might be meeting its maker.

At least in Minnesota. The antiquated and unjust law that restricts young Americans from practicing their God-given right to get faded could be altered in the Midwestern state, and we might just have Obamacare to thank indirectly for this wondrous move.

Veteran Minnesota State Representative Phyllis Kahn has spent a large portion of her career fruitlessly attempting to lower her state's draconian drinking age. While her previous bill proposals have been met largely with harsh opposition—including from the state's current governor, Mark Dayton—Kahn believes she might finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. She currently has two new bills pending that would allow for Minnesotans under the age of 21 to drink in certain circumstances. One would allow those 18 and up to drink in bars and restaurants, but would still prohibit them from buying alcohol at a liquor store. The other alternative bill would also allow the 18-and-over crowd to drink in bars and restaurants, but only if accompanied by a parent, guardian, or spouse over 21.

"It's a very good way to deal with the serious problem of binge drinking, particularly on college campuses," stated Kahn, whose district contains both the University of Minnesota and Augsburg College. She believes a European-style method of allowing young adults to learn to drink socially would drastically cut down on binge drinking and the use of fake IDs. Many young Minnesotans seem to agree. "If you can go and die for your country but you can't have a beer, I can't understand that," 18-year-old Andrew Deziel told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Sounds great, but what exactly is different for Kahn and her two bills this time around? In other words, why is she now hopeful that one of these bills could actually be enacted?

In the past, any and all proposals to lower the legal drinking age have been thoroughly crushed by a 1984 federal law that effectively blackmailed states with a 10 percent loss in federal highway funding should they choose to lower their legal drinking age. Thankfully, Kahn believes a 2012 Supreme Court ruling could change things now. That ruling was on the requirements for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government cannot withhold funding from a state in an attempt to coerce them to act in a certain way. Kahn believes that the precedent would apply to drinking laws, thereby precluding the federal government from stepping in when a state votes to lower the minimum age.

If Kahn is successful in her attempt to lower Minnesota's legal drinking age, it would likely become a textbook example used in other states.

Minnesota is not the only state where under-21 drinking is up for discussion. In California, a proposed ballot initiative that would lower the legal drinking age to 18 has been cleared to begin collecting signatures. If enough signatures are gathered, the proposal would be on the November 2016 ballot, enabling voters to decide for themselves.

So is there hope for the under-21 drinkers out there? Maybe in the sweet state of Minnesota. And perhaps one day, elsewhere in America, too.