New York Governor Kathy Hochul has delighted constituents who enjoy a tipple with a surprise move to permanently legalize to-go alcohol orders from bars and restaurants.
‘Cheers, New York,’ Hochul said after announcing the move during her State of the State address to the legislature in Albany on Wednesday, as the Omicron wave further disrupts the Empire State economy.
In her announcement, Hochul said: ‘So many small businesses are pushed to the brink. Thousands of bars and restaurants, the soul of our neighborhoods, have had to close. For others hanging on by a thread, survival depends on whether they can create more space outdoors, a tough task during our New York winters.
‘To help offset these costs we’ll provide a tax credit for COVID-related purchases like outdoor heating and seating.’
Carry-out booze had been temporarily allowed last year during the pandemic, which Hochul noted was a ‘critical revenue stream’ in tough times, but the measure expired in June.
In her speech Hochul also announced a $1 billion plan to boost small businesses, including a tax credit for pandemic-related capital expenditures, such as for outdoor heaters or booth dividers.
The decision will be a welcome move for bars and restaurants, many of which have been forced into de facto lockdowns over the past month due to a surge in covid cases.
On Wednesday, the state recorded 77,859 new covid cases and 96 new deaths over 24 hours. In New York City alone, there were 36,186 new infections in a single day.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced permanent legalization of to-go alcohol, raising a champagne flute and saying ‘cheers, New York’
Hochul touted her own experience as a former small business owner, including helping her mother start a flower and gift shop.
‘New York’s comeback depends on the recovery and success of our small businesses,’ Hochul said.
‘Since the pandemic hit, small business owners have been struggling with unprecedented challenges. New York is here with a simple message: help is on the way.’
New York is not the first state to legalize to-go alcohol during the pandemic, a move that Iowa and Arizona also made.
However, Hochul’s move does not amount to a booze free-for-all, as New York City’s open container law is still in effect.
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Thus it is still technically illegal to consume alcohol on the city’s streets and public transit, though the rule is regularly flouted and citations are rare.
Hochul said that her multi-prong rescue plan would ‘ensure that disadvantaged, minority-owned, and women-owned small businesses prosper throughout the state’
A New Yorker is seen carrying to-go drinks in May 2020. The temporary provision for carry-out booze had expired in June, but will now be permanent
Hochul said that her multi-prong rescue plan would ‘ensure that disadvantaged, minority-owned, and women-owned small businesses prosper throughout the state.’
The $1 billion plan includes a state-run venture fund to invest in emerging businesses, ‘including minority- and women-owned companies often overlooked by private-sector venture investments.’
A tax credit for COVID-related capital expenditures would help defray the costs of equipment and renovations that businesses undertook as pandemic precautions.
A small business lending facility will provide reduced interest loans to small businesses seeking to expand.
Another component, dubbed the Excelsior Contracting Opportunities Initiative, will assist small businesses in securing federal contracts funded by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, ‘particularly those which are socially and economically disadvantaged.’
A New Yorker is seen purchasing to-go drinks in May 2020. Hochul’s scheme for carry-out booze is only one element of her plan to help small businesses
Hochul said she will also provide $100 million in tax relief for 195,000 small businesses by widening eligibility and increasing a tax return adjustment that reduces a small business’s gross business income.
The governor’s speech was sparsely attended due to strict capacity limits at the statehouse, allowing only 50 state legislators to attend in person.
Hochul, a Democrat who ascended to office last year when Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace, is expected to seek another term in November’s election.
Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was term-limited out of office at the end of December, is expected to challenge Hochul in the primary race, though he has not publicly confirmed his plans.
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