Minnesota happy hour bill backer Anita Le Brun helped win a new law letting care homes serve alcohol at special events without a licence.
Minnesota’s happy hour bill is now law, and the woman who pushed it across the finish line is celebrating. Anita Le Brun, an 82-year-old grandmother of five, helped lead the effort after learning her assisted living facility could not serve drinks to residents without an alcohol licence.
Le Brun lives at Amira Choice Champlin in Minnesota and became the public face of the campaign to change the rule. She testified twice before state lawmakers, then shared a toast this week with Governor Tim Walz at a ceremonial signing held at the care home itself. The law took effect this month and allows nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Minnesota to serve alcohol to residents and guests for special events, as long as the state is notified in advance.
Le Brun said her fellow residents were glad to see the restrictions eased and called them absurd. The facility had already allowed residents to drink in their own rooms and to bring alcohol to community functions. According to Amira Choice representative Sara Luehmann, alcohol at social events had been capped at two drinks because older people face a higher risk of falls. The Minnesota happy hour bill applies only to special events, not general open-ended service.
The push for change grew after the facility was contacted by local government over champagne served at an April 2025 event after renovations. Amira Choice then sought help from LeadingAge Minnesota, a nonprofit that works with senior care providers, and said the cost and conditions tied to an alcohol licence were too burdensome. LeadingAge’s Erin Huppert said the issue was about more than money. She argued that residents should be able to legally drink in their own home, just as they could in a private house in the community.
Walz said older Minnesotans should not have to give up the traditions and freedoms they have enjoyed for years. He said the new rule cuts paperwork and gives senior living communities more room to focus on birthdays, anniversaries, happy hours, and other shared moments. Luehmann said other providers are already looking at doing the same, and that staff at Amira Choice are planning an all-day party next month. Le Brun, who practiced her remarks at home and over the phone with her daughters, told lawmakers that people in assisted living should not have fewer freedoms simply because they are older. For many families, the Minnesota happy hour bill is a reminder that home should still feel like home.
