Oregon elected officials and OLCC team up to raise awareness about Human Trafficking

by Joy Spencer

Most people think the enslavement of a human being, typically called human trafficking, is a crime only happening overseas. In fact, human trafficking victimizes Oregonians with tragic frequency. In the U.S., the average age of a girl first forced into prostitution is 12-14.

The first step to ending human trafficking is awareness. That’s why Rep. Brent Barton, Rep. Jefferson Smith, Sen. Diane Rosenbaum and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission are providing information to liquor licensees through HB 3623.

The bill allows the OLCC to include human trafficking informational stickers in certain license renewal notices sent by the OLCC. A letter addressing the issues of human trafficking encourages liquor licensees to display a sticker, provided by the Anti-Crime Alliance, to raise awareness of services available to victims. The sticker displays a toll-free hotline, 1-888-373-7888, created and managed by the Polaris Project.

“Many of the people who are forced into human trafficking don’t realize that help exists,” said Rep. Brent Barton, Clackamas Dist. 51. “The numerous legislators and local government officials who supported this bill realize the severity of the issue and the need to reach out to help these
victims of slavery.”

Volunteers, organized through Rep. Brent Barton's office, will help OLCC staff insert the letter and sticker into license renewal letters. Thousands of license renewal letters will be mailed throughour the year.

“Businesses across the state will receive this sticker and have the opportunity to post it where their customers and employees can see,” said Chairman Philip Lang, OLCC. “The OLCC is glad to be working with our legislators to get this important message out and hopefully, save someone’s life.”

Comments

Can I see your ID, please?

From time to time, we receive questions on whether the OLCC requires anyone buying or being served alcohol to have a valid ID on them. The OLCC requires licensees to check ID of anyone who reasonably appears 26 years old or younger. An establishment might have a restriction on their liquor license due to a history of serving alcohol to minors or allowing minors in prohibited areas. In this case, it could be that a licensed business is required to check the ID of every person entering the establishment or being sold/served alcoholic beverages. Or, a business can choose to have a stricter ID policy than what the state requires. If you’re at a restaurant with your underage friend or relative, you might not be served - even if you have the ID to show you’re of age. Some businesses will refuse service if they suspect that you might furnish the alcoholic beverage to a minor at your table. Current accepted forms of ID include a valid state driver license with a photo; a valid DMV ID card wit...

Who has the lowest liquor prices?

by Christie Scott You may have heard some say that liquor is cheaper in California. The facts are that only a handful of products are significantly lower, while most products are very competitive. In fact, after you’ve added in the California sales tax, many popular products in Oregon are actually less expensive. Many retail stores in states like California use a sales tactic called “loss leaders.” This is the practice of drastically marking down a few popular, fast-moving products to entice customers into coming into the store and purchasing other products. But then other products are likely marked higher to make up the cost difference. The OLCC does not use these techniques to entice people into liquor stores. For public safety reasons, the state does not try to encourage alcohol sales or try to entice people into the stores. The most common size bottle sold in Oregon is 750 ml also known as "fifths." Most people who purchase alcohol purchase this size - a...

Why is my liquor store now closed on Sunday?

If you live in Oregon, you may have noticed that your local liquor store isn’t staying open quite as late, or perhaps it is now closed on Sundays. Each Oregon liquor store is essentially its own small business, operated by an independent contractor – also known as a liquor agent. Liquor agents have the authority to determine their store’s hours and days of operation, with some basic guidelines set by the OLCC to ensure adequate service to the public. Although hours of operation may vary from store to store, liquor stores must be open at least eight hours a day, Monday through Saturday. This must include the hours between noon and 6:00 p.m. And they can’t open before 7:00 a.m. or close any later than 10:00 p.m. Liquor stores can be open on Sundays and holidays. But, it is up to the liquor agent if they want to be open on those days. So why has your neighborhood liquor store changed its hours? The state’s economic woes are partially at fault. To fix an $855M state budget shortfall, the ...

Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission

Search This Blog