# Local/regional legislatures **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2023, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210 "2023-08-28T03:30:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210/41 "2023-08-30T17:15:20Z")
Hmmm… Australia though alcoholic beverages were important enough to be dealt with in its own clause in their constitution? 'Nuf said. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210/42 "2023-08-30T17:27:33Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Australia though alcoholic beverages were important enough to be dealt with in its own clause in their constitution? The US Constitution has two amendments dealing with alcohol. The second one gives explicit regulation of it to the states. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210/43 "2023-08-31T00:56:16Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Section 51 gives a list of powers the Australian federal parliament certainly has. > It doesn’t then ban federal government from taking on more, nor control the states from interfering… > Except that it says the federal laws override state laws. The Australian Constitution gives the federal parliament an enumerated list of competences. It gives them no power simply to assume more competences. It does contain mechanisms by which the states can confer additional competences on the federal parliament, but this isn’t something the feds can do unilaterally; it requires federal-state agreement. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210/44 "2023-08-31T01:31:01Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Australia though alcoholic beverages were important enough to be dealt with in its own clause in their constitution? > > 'Nuf said. Given the US has two constitutional clauses about alcohol, patently Australia considers it of less importance than the US. \*\*\*\* ninja’d by @dtilque 🙃 _Well matured alcohol, being essential to the happiness of a free State, the right of the people to keep and consume alcohol, shall not be infringed._ Would have made more sense at the time and certainly now. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210/45 "2023-08-31T01:37:35Z")
Yes, the US Declaration enumerates “life, liberty, and the pursuit of cold beer…” as inalienable rights, doesn’t it? So it seems the Australians went straight to an inalienable right, while the Americans took 144 years to decide on an amendment “Maybe I’ll go on the wagon” and a few years later…“eh, maybe that was a stupid thing to do.” ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210/46 "2023-08-31T12:15:20Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Hmmm… Australia though alcoholic beverages were important enough to be dealt with in its own clause in their constitution? From 1910 until 1999, Switzerland had a prohibition of absinthe (naming it explicitly) in its constitution. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-regional-legislatures/989210.md?page=2)