States Continue To Ease Restrictions On Alcohol Sales

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) announced on April 9 that the FY 2023 state budget will include a provision to permanently permit to-go sales of beverages containing alcohol. Far from being an outlier, Governor Hochul’s announcement was the latest in a long series of decisions made by governors and state legislators over the past two years to loosen restrictions on the sale of beer, wine, and spirits. 35 states eased regulations during the pandemic to allow bars and restaurants to sell beverages containing alcohol to-go. Lawmakers in 17 of those states have since passed legislation to permanently permit to-go sales of adult beverages, with Governor Hochul’s announcement making New York number 18.

Other state-imposed limitations on the sale of alcohol stand to be repealed in the future. For example, only seven of the 50 states still have laws on the books, commonly referred to as “blue laws,” which prohibit the retail sale of whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and other distilled spirits on Sundays. But that number could drop from seven to six if South Carolina legislators send House Bill 3013 to Governor Henry McMaster’s desk this year.