Government Considering Making To-Go Alcohol Sales Permanent
One of the changes from the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas is that you can purchase alcohol to-go from restaurants. The Texas governor wants to make the changes permanent. Front Porch New Texas explains the situation.
The allowance has been around since March 18 and was extended on May 1. The governor has expressed his support for making it permanent and a representative has stated he’ll file a bill in the next legislative session to make it happen.
Restaurants have lobbied to expand the wavier to mixed drinks with liquor. The current rules only allow liquor to be sold in manufacturer-sealed bottles with a food purchase, so restaurants have been selling kits where patrons can mix their own drinks. Restaurants want to be able to serve their signature drinks pre-mixed and have offered their own safety guidelines to prevent DUI.
The lifting of the restrictions on alcohol is meant to be a way for restaurants to continue to make money during the pandemic. The restaurant lobby in the state says that the industry has lost $4.2 billion since the shutdowns, and the shutdown is likely to continue. Recent lifting of restrictions caused a spike in cases that may lead to another lockdown.
We hope that whatever happens involving alcohol sales to-go that drivers will be unable to drink it before they get home. The public does not need more drunk drivers on the road.
