Having open containers of alcohol in a motor vehicle is prohibited in most states, but Connecticut lawmakers recently failed in an attempt to add the Constitution State to the list, the New London Day reported May 7.

The state House of Representatives failed to approve a Senate-passed open-container bill, citing concerns that it would be effectively banning tailgating at football games and that it could lead to racial profiling of blacks and Latinos. Connecticut is one of just seven states where it remains legal to have open containers of alcohol in cars.

Bill sponsor Rep. Tom Reynolds said a friend whose child was killed by a drunk driver asked him, "'Tom, why is it legal in Connecticut to drive down the highway with an open bottle of whiskey in my cup holder?' ... I didn't have an answer for him."

House Majority Leader Chris Donovan said that, at a minimum, the bill's language would have to be amended to address the tailgating issue.