New York will expand access to booze by allowing movie theaters to sell liquor and continuing to allow people to buy to-go cocktails at bars and restaurants as part of a series of measures unveiled Thursday.
The state Assembly passed the measures Thursday that are part of a larger state budget agreement. The state Senate is expected to follow suit before it is sent to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for her signature. The agreement was reached between Hochul and state Senate and Assembly leaders after a series of closed-door negotiations.
New York City movie theaters are only allowed to sell beer and wine, but the new law will add liquor to the mix, according to the New York State Liquor Control Authority.
“Someone should be able to enjoy a cocktail while watching a movie,” said state Sen. James Skoufis, a Democrat who chairs the legislative committee that makes the state’s alcohol laws.
The measure comes with fencing in an attempt to maintain a family atmosphere in movie theaters licensed to sell alcohol. People will be allowed to purchase only one alcoholic drink per transaction, and theaters must stop selling alcohol as soon as credits for the last show of the day start flowing in.
New Yorkers will also be allowed to buy to-go cocktails at restaurants and bars for the next five years as part of another portion of the state budget. The rule is set to expire next year after the state temporarily allowed to-go sales of alcoholic beverages during the pandemic.
Skoufis, who supports keeping the measure permanent, said “this provides some short-term certainty to restaurants and businesses that do this.”
Lawmakers in Albany voted Thursday to push back the state budget deadline again, although they are expected to vote on the budget package later this week. Hochul announced a $237 billion funding framework on Monday. budgetapproximately two weeks after the original April 1 deadline.