BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — As the Commonwealth moves it's way through the "new normal," restaurant relief is on the mind of one local lawmaker.
Massachusetts State Senator Diana DiZoglio, who represents the 1st Essex District, is pushing for the state to extend the legal sale of "cocktails to-go," or alcoholic beverages that can be ordered through takeout or taken home after a meal out.
"Our restaurants do need assistance," DiZoglio said. "They are still climbing out of the pit due to the shutdown that happened through no fault of their own."
The measure was first signed into law temporarily by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker in July of 2020 -- and it is set to expire once the state of emergency is lifted in Massachusetts.
DiZoglio said extending the law for another two years would be a "great start" to helping Commonwealth businesses rebound financially from the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We're going to keep pushing as hard as is necessary to make sure these provisions are passed to help our local restaurants," she said. "It is going to take a lot longer to recover from the impacts of the pandemic than was originally thought."
Chris Almeida of the non-profit restaurant advocacy organization Thirst Group said he doesn't believe any Bay State restaurants will go out of business if the extension isn't granted -- but he "definitely would see people losing jobs over it" if restaurants can no longer make those sales.
WBZ's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports:
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Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Getty Images)