5/11/04-A bill in the General Assembly that would have prohibited open containers of alcohol in vehicles has died.
It remained in the Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding at the close of the session that ended May 5, effectively killing the bill for the year.
Under Connecticut law, drivers are prohibited from having an open alcoholic beverage, but passengers are free to drink while in the vehicle.
SB25, sponsored by Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, sought to eliminate the open container provision.
Currently, the state is required to spend a chunk of its federal highway funds on traffic safety because the state doesn’t have a ban on open containers of alcohol in vehicles.
The state is one of only 14 nationwide that allows passengers to drink; last year, that distinction pulled 3 percent, or $5.7 million, out of the highway construction budget and put it to other uses.
The federal government mandated in 2001 that states either pass open container laws or spend a percentage of federal highway dollars on public safety projects such as installing cables to prevent crossover accidents and drunken driving checkpoints.

3/16/04-Connecticut is being forced to spend a chunk of its federal highway dollars on traffic safety because the state doesn’t have a ban on open containers of alcohol in vehicles.
The state is one of only 14 nationwide that allows open alcohol containers in vehicles and last year that distinction pulled 3 percent, or $5.7 million out of the highway construction budget and put it to other uses.
The federal government mandated in 2001 that states either pass open container laws or spend a percentage of federal highway dollars on public safety projects such as installing cables to prevent crossover accidents and drunk driving checkpoints.
Under Connecticut law, it is legal to possess open containers if you are at least 21 years of age. State law does prohibit drunken driving, consuming alcohol while driving and the possession of alcohol by people under 21.
A bill – SB25 – introduced by Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, would eliminate the open container provision in state law.
The bill is before the Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding. For bill status, call (860) 240-0555.