Bill to punish adults who provide teens with alcohol is weakened by amendments

ANNAPOLIS —  The Maryland legislature seems ready to crack down on people, including parents, who provide teens with alcohol. But there’s also a move to weaken the bill.
The region is no stranger to teen drinking parties, which sometimes end in tragedy.  Last summer two 2015 Wootton High School graduates were killed in a single car crash following a teen drinking party.

Lawmakers have shown plenty of support for a bill that would toughen penalties against those who provide alcohol to underage drinkers,  raising the potential of up to one year in prison and doubling the fine to $5,000.

The bill moved smoothly through the General Assembly until amendments were added in recent days.

“There are some obvious second thoughts. These are unfortunate because these are indeed weakening second thoughts,” says Kurt Erickson, president of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, a non-profit devoted to anti-drunk driving and anti-underage drinking...

 http://wtop.com/maryland/2016/04/bill-to-punish-adults-who-provide-teens-with-alcohol-is-weakened-by-amendments/