DENVER — The Colorado House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed a measure that would allow to-go cocktails to continue past the pandemic.
HB 21-2027 will now go to the State Senate. A previous executive order from Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) allowing takeout alcohol was slated to expire this summer. If the new legislation passes, it would allow to-go alcohol sales to continue indefinitely, even when all COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
“We are grateful that the House of Representatives has unanimously passed this important piece of legislation, and we urge the Senate to move quickly to advance and pass this bill," Sonia Riggs, the president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said in a news release.
"Alcohol to-go sales have been a crucial lifeline for Colorado restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is the gravest crisis the restaurant industry has faced in living memory. Ninety-three percent of restaurant operators who responded to a recent survey told us they are deriving revenue from alcohol to-go orders."
>The video above aired earlier this year explains new bill would allow bars and restaurants to continue to sell and deliver alcohol to-go for another five years.
According to the Colorado Restaurant Association:
- 87% of restaurants are making revenue from alcohol to-go and delivery
- 1 in 5 restaurants say they are making significant revenue
- 85% of Colorado adults say they favor making alcohol to-go and delivery permanent
- 1 in 3 Colorado adults say they purchased takeout or delivery alcohol in the last week
More than 30 states began allowing restaurants and/or bars to sell cocktails to-go as a COVID-19 economic relief measure. Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Montana, Arkansas and the District of Columbia have all made COVID-era cocktails to-go measures permanent. Dozens of other states are also considering legislation to extend or make permanent cocktails to-go measures.
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