Hedlund Looking to Even the Business Landscape

A group of legislative leaders including State Senator Robert Hedlund  have called on the six-member conference committee reviewing the “Casino Bill” to amend the Restaurant Protection Amendment that was included in the legislation. In its current form, the Restaurant Protection Amendment would change the laws governing alcoholic beverages in Massachusetts so that bars and restaurants could not be subject to stricter regulations than casinos.

Assistant Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth), Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R – Gloucester) and Chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety Jim Timilty (D-Walpole), all of whom supported the Restaurant Protection Amendment, have written to the conference committee to propose a compromise to the Amendment. The Amendment was passed overwhelmingly by the Senate during debate with a roll call vote of 25-13.

“It is obvious that the introduction of casinos in Massachusetts will dramatically alter the business landscape, especially concerning small businesses” said Senator Hedlund, “It is ironic that the state is granting special privileges to casinos so that they can compete with casinos in Connecticut, but has not considered the myriad of small businesses in this state that will then be at a competitive disadvantage to the casinos.”

The compromise proposal now being offered would call for the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) to review Massachusetts’ alcohol laws over the course of a year and suggest changes for the Legislature to implement that would help local bars and restaurants compete with casinos.

Under current law, a bar could legally offer tequila shots for 40 cents each as long as they offered the same deal for seven days in a row, while a restaurant would be prohibited from offering a discount off  of locally brewed beers on certain days.  Since 1984 when the ban on drink specials was enacted, several states have followed the Commonwealth’s lead on our strict drunk driving penalties, while only Utah has more restrictive rules on drink specials in restaurants.

The above release was sent by the office of Robert Hedlund.