A brief history of Act 199

By looking to the right of this column, you can see that we list drink specials. This may… By looking to the right of this column, you can see that we list drink specials. This may strike you as disturbing, cool or possibly just odd. Why, you might ask, is The Pitt News, a college paper, giving local bars free advertising? Why are those bars included, but no others? Is the paper just encouraging alcoholism?

The story behind these specials begins with a State law called Act 199. Passed in December 1996, Act 199 basically stated that no alcohol may be advertised in “any publication published by, for or in behalf of any educational institution” ? i.e. produced primarily for students. That includes wine companies, liquor and beer corporations or any local bars wishing to advertise something other than food.

In 1999, The Pitt News, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the state under the argument that the law violated our First Amendment rights by denying us revenue.

It took two years to reach a ruling by the Third Circuit Court that, although we had standing, or the right, to sue, our loss of revenue did not constitute a breach of the First Amendment. In other words, we had no constitutional right to make money.

But we weren’t done.

On May 14, 2001 (two years ago to the day, as I write this), the ACLU began a new assault on the law, this time from a new angle. Because Act 199 takes a certain class of papers and limits only their policies, we argued, the act interferes with editorial content, and the existence of such a law is, by nature, unconstitutional. We don’t need to show damages, we said, because the fact that the law is there and dictating any content at all is unconstitutional.

Judge William Standish, who ruled against us in one of the hearings of the original suit, followed in perfect form, this time taking nearly two years to hand down a ruling that could easily have been written in months.

In the spring, The Pitt News began the appeals process, again appealing a Standish ruling to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. That’s where we stand now.

I am now the sixth editor in chief that has dealt with the issue of Act 199. Last year, The Pitt News began running drink specials free of charge for local bars ? which Act 199 ironically allows us to do ? in order to keep the students informed, but more importantly to make a point.

The reactions to this have been disparate indeed. Many students, being younger and more willing to challenge the establishment, have been wildly in favor of it. But some have not, and they are joined by many conservatives who feel that such things simply do not belong in a student paper.

The Pitt News is financially independent and the second-largest daily paper in the city. 70 percent of our readership is 21 years old or older. The Post-Gazette, which has many alcohol-related ads, is provided free in every University dormitory.

Local bars are allowed to advertise food specials but not drink specials, and we can publish those drink specials you see here free of charge. For all of these reasons, plus our vested interest in keeping the freedoms of press and expression appropriately broad, The Pitt News will continue to fight Act 199 in any capacity we are able.

A traditional role of the press is to be a watchdog for institutions, including the government. A free and independent media is one of the ways a democracy survives. Through our case against Act 199, we seek to protect our readers’ right to information, all newspapers’ right to determine their own content and our right to play on a level field with any other financially independent paper.

Bootleggers

M: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $1 Miller Lite and Yuengling drafts, $4 pitchers

T: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $2 for every beer

W: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $2 Yuengling, karaoke

Th: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.: $4 Bud Light pitchers

F: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $4 Miller Lite pitchers

Sat.: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $1.50 Coors Light

Chief’s

Every day: $1.50 shots of house vodka, gin and whiskey

Cumpie’s

Every day: $3 Long Island Iced Tea, $5 64-ounce domestic pitchers

M: $2 DJ cover, 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.: 25-cent Bud drafts, 25-cent wings

T: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $1 drafts

W: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: $2 imported bottles

Th: $2 DJ cover, 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.: 25-cent drafts, 25-cent wings

F: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: $2 16-ounce IC Light and Miller Genuine Draft bottles, 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $1 drafts

Sat.: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.: $2 well drinks

Sun.: DJ, 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., $1 drafts

Denny’s

M: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $1.50 domestic drafts, $3.50 domestic pitchers

T: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $2.50 pitchers

W: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $3.50 pitchers of Molson Canadian

Th: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $3.50 pitchers of Yuengling

F: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: $2.50 pitchers, 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $3.50 pitchers of Augustiner

Sat.: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: 75-cent Old German bottles

Fuel ‘amp; Fuddle

M: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.: “Kick the Keg” different beers on special

T: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $1.50 Coors Light drafts

W: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $2 Railbender

F: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: $1 off all drafts except Coors Light

Sat.: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $2.50 house drafts

Sun.: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.:$1.50 Yuuengling, 20-cent Buffalo wings

Hemingway’s

M: $1 domestic drafts, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $2 Jack Daniel’s

T: $1 Molson Canadian drafts, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $2.50 Stoli vodkas

W: $1 Rolling Rock drafts, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $2 Captain Morgan’s Rum

Th: $1 Miller Lite drafts, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $2.50 Long Island Iced Teas

F: $1 Yuengling drafts, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: $1 off all liquors, free buffet

Sat.: $1 Coors Light drafts, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $3.75 20-ounce mixed drinks

Joe Mama’s

All week: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: $1 off all cocktails, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $1 drafts

Mad Mex

M to F: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: half price drafts, $5 large margaritas, half-price small margaritas

Every day: 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $5 large margaritas

Peter’s Pub

M: all day: $1.50 Budweiser bottles, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: $1 Bud drafts, upstairs open

T: all day: $1 16-ounce Rolling Rock drafts

W: all day: $1 Miller Lite drafts, upstairs open

Th: all day: $1 Coors Light drafts, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: half price pitchers, 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $2.50 16-ounce Long Island Iced Tea

F: all day: $1 Yuengling drafts, free food upstairs

Sat.: all day: $1 Icehouse drafts

Pittsburgh Cafe

M: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $1 Yuengling bottles

T: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.: 25-cent drafts

W: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $1 off micro brews and imports

Th: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $1 Budweiser and Bud Light bottles

F: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: $2 Corona, Negra Modelo and Dos Equis, and $1.50 margaritas

Sat.: all day: $1 Bud and Bud Lights bottles, $5 Bud and Bud Light pitchers

Sun.: all day: $1 Iron City and IC Light bottles

Union Grill

M to Sat.: 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.: all beer half price