Bill making sale of 'to-go' cocktails permanent advanced by Ohio House

A bill passed in the Ohio House on Wednesday would make sales of to-go alcoholic beverages permanently legal in the state.

According to Cleveland’s NBC-affiliate WKYC-TV, House Bill 669 was approved by Ohio legislators with by vote of 84-8. The bill now heads to the state Senate for a vote.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order in April that allowed businesses with liquor licenses to sell and deliver drinks, including beverages that have high-proof liquor, in attempt to help restaurants gain revenue during the coronavirus pandemic, the station reported. DeWine’s order stipulated that no more than two drinks per meal were allowed to be sold.

The bill is officially titled the Business Expansion Safety Act, and was sponsored by two Republican lawmakers, Reps. D.J. Swearingen and Jeff LaRe.

#NEW Ohio House approves ‘cocktails to go’ bill, which now heads to senate @Ohio_politics https://t.co/JXPXuAdUeJ pic.twitter.com/9NC5VjtBHZ

— Dayton Daily News (@daytondailynews) June 10, 2020

“This pandemic has hit main street businesses and workers especially hard as it is a social work environment. The industry runs on human interaction and customer personalization, which has been severely restricted for two months and counting,” Swearingen said in a statement provided to the station. “I am talking about the tourist industry, which has a large presence in my district and many other districts along Lake Erie.”

“This legislation gives our dining industry the opportunity to rise to the occasion,” LaRe said in the statement. “The creative approaches outlined in the bill allow for more Ohioans to frequent our bars and restaurants while safely abiding by social distancing requirements. It is my hope that House Bill 669 will not only allow businesses across the state to re-coup lost profit, but to also maximize their revenue generation.”

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, which submitted testimony in support of H.B. 669, said that 33 states are allowing restaurants and/or bars to sell cocktails to-go, bottled spirits to-go or both, WKYC reported.

Other states, including Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Iowa, as well as the District of Columbia, are also considering making these policies permanent.