We may get to keep booze to go sales.
On Twitter Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott suggested to-go alcohol sales should be made available in Texas past the coronavirus pandemic.
Texas restaurants will be allowed to open for dine-in Friday under a 25 percent occupancy limit, and they’ll also be able to still offer alcohol to-go with the purchase of food. The state may be able to keep the option permanently, Abbott said in a tweet.
“Alcohol-to-go sales can continue after May 1,” the governor tweeted Tuesday night. “From what I hear from Texans, we may just let his keep going on forever.”
Some of what the governor may be hearing — or seeing — is the online chatter between residents enjoying the ability to pick up drinks to enjoy at home throughout the pandemic. The new freedom has been the source of memes, jealousy from other states and was incorporated on El Arroyo’s famed marquee signage in Austin. Long drive-thru lines at places like Taco Cabana, where frozen margaritas are $2, have also been common.
Abbott included the hashtag #txlege in the tweet for the Texas Legislature. The next legislative session begins Jan. 12.
Hooray and all that. I can’t help but think of the multi-year struggle to get beer-to-go legislation passed in the Lege, and the big money opposition to it from the cartel known as the distributors. That was a big step forward, but there remain dumb laws that impinge on craft brewers. I wish we could wave a pandemic-powered magic wand to make it all make sense, but we’re going to have to do it the old-fashioned way.
Of course, the most popular thing from a do-nothing governor is that he does nothing to retract the to-go sales.
Keep folks inebriated and not thinking about the governors’ lack of leadership on testing, contact tracing, following federal re-opening guidelines, etc.
I wonder when distributors will get the governors’ and state leadership’s ear (read: governor’s and state leadership’s political campaign accounts) to dial back the current to-go availability.
….because once we’ve seen that a law was useless and not needed in the first place, we’ve got to re-institute it, just because.
If you don’t like abortion, don’t get one, and if you don’t like liquor to go, don’t buy any. How hard is this?
In related news, our serial litigator is at it again: Three-times charm, filed today and taking issue with Lina Hidalgo’s most recent order. See reopening order here: https://www.readyharris.org/Portals/60/documents/050120-Second-Amended-Stay-Home-Work-Safe-Phased-Reopening-of-Services.pdf
Cause No. 2020-27743 – HOTZE, STEVEN vs. HIDALGO, LINA (Court 334)
This latest iteration was assigned to Steven Kirkland’s court. No info yet regarding any TRO hearing, which would presumably be heard by currently assigned ancillary judge Ursula Hall (presiding over the 165th District Court), if she makes herself available. (Don’t count on it).
Harris County COVID-19 map with case count by ZIP code here:
https://harriscounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/31370c72d3844e6b962fcf8490718821