Should To-Go Drinks Be Made Permanent in NY? [POLL]

NEW YORK — One of the things Gov. Kathy Hochul said during her State of the State address in January was that she wanted to bring back to-go drinks, which were popular during the shutdown and helped bars and restaurants maintain income.

The governor justified the return of the lapsed COVID-19 shutdown policy by saying it would support small businesses struggling during the latest omicron variant surge.

Unfortunately, it's no longer up to the governor to put the policy in place. The state legislature has to pass a law in order to it to come to fruition.

Hospitality groups got behind Hochul's proposal recently and said in a news release that to-go wine and cocktails "provided a necessary financial stream during the pandemic and served as a lifeline to an industry economically devastated by the pandemic."

A statement from the NYC Hospitality Alliance said the to-go policy was extremely popular with consumers as well and urged members of the Assembly and Senate that represent the city to play a leading role in making sure drinks-to-go legislation is passed very soon.

However, not everyone is in favor of making to-go drinks permanent.

Who is against getting a cocktail to take home with your take-out dinner?

The liquor store industry, The New York Times reported.

The industry has sent tens of thousands of dollars to lawmakers, while store owners pressured their elected officials — actions that caught bars and restaurants off guard.

Losing money was the rationale of the liquor store industry, according to The Times, and the activism is basically the same that has kept grocery stores from selling wine.

The Metropolitan Package Store Association put out a fundraising email that said the permanent extension of to-go drinks would be devastating to liquor stores and create a public health crisis, Forbes reported.

Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D-Albany, who co-sponsored a bill making to-do drinks permanent, said she didn't realize how much power the liquor store industry has, Gothamist reported.

"It's unfair, there's tension between the restaurant industry and the liquor store industry," she told Gothamist.

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.