State Sen. Mike Fasano, who said he has never had an alcoholic drink, has often been a designated driver for friends. So he can relate to Gary Maujean's predicament.

In June, Maujean said, he was ejected from Carlie's Lounge in Pinellas Park for not buying alcohol. Maujean, who builds doors for a living, was the designated driver for his wife and their friends.

Now Fasano, R-New Port Richey, has filed a bill that would prevent bar owners from throwing out patrons who don't buy alcohol. The new bill would slip mistreatment of designated drivers in with discrimination based on race, sex and creed and could affect an establishment's license.

"I was outraged," said Fasano, who once crusaded for a coral-colored license plate for repeat drunken drivers. "Here you have an individual who is trying to be responsible, and he's being thrown out of the bar because he wanted a Coke rather than a rum and Coke.

Full story here.