Gov. Kathy Hochul in her State of the State address called for permanently legalizing the sale of alcohol to-go orders from New York bars and restaurants, a move that was put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic by an executive order by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo when those businesses were shuttered.
Hochul said passing alcohol-to-go would help many small businesses across the state pay their rents or mortgages as they continue to recover from the financial impacts of the pandemic.
Cuomo's executive order expired in the spring. Despite efforts by many, and the support from the New York State Restaurant Association, the state Legislature did not pass legislation on its legalization before the end of the its 2021 session last June.
Luke Parsnow - New York State Politics Digital Content Producer
Luke Parsnow is the New York state politics digital content writer and producer at Spectrum News 1. He is an award-winning writer and political columnist and previously worked for CNYCentral in Syracuse and The Post-Star in Glens Falls, New York.
