Make it one more for the road.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is pushing state lawmakers to permanently allow bars and restaurants to sell cocktails to-go — which would indefinitely continue a pandemic-era policy that served as a lifeline for the struggling industry reaping from lockdowns and a lack of patrons.
After those lockdowns subsided, though, the state legislature granted eateries and saloons an extension of that program, which allowed the sale of alcohol with to-go orders that included “a substantial food item.” While restaurants and bars hailed that move as a boon for their businesses, the law included an expiration date of April 2025.