Longer Happy Hours? Yes Please!
Sometimes it seems like this state is still struggling to crawl out of the dark crevasse in history that was Prohibition. New legislation could indicate that the state may be starting to consider treating us adults....like adults.
On February 9th, State Representative John Payne of Derry Township introduced a bill that seeks to reduce the pain caused by a State Law that since 1951 has been restricting the Happy Hour to only two hours per day. In a move which can only be described as Moderately Awesome, this bill (HB148) maintains the restriction of 14 hours of happy hour per week, but allows for bars to decide for themselves how to distribute those 14 hours.
Here's the actual language from the bill in case you want your brain to melt:
"The holder of a hotel license or a restaurant license or
an eating place license may have up to fourteen hours per week
during which the holder discounts the price of alcoholic
beverages. The licensee may use as many of the fourteen hours
per business day as the licensee chooses so long as the hours do
not exceed fourteen hours in any given week and so long as no
discounts are given between the hours of midnight and the legal
closing time."
Wow, that's painful. Want some more? Here's a link to the whole bill: HB148 Oh my god, why would you do that to yourself, please don't try to read that.
Another cool part of this bill is the ability to buy up to three bottles of wine from a bar or restaurant to take home. The current law states that in order to buy a bottle (and you can only buy one), the server has to open it, pour some in a glass for you, and then recork it before you can take it. Obviously the current law makes total sense... Some might wonder why anyone would want to buy wine from a restaurant with 300% mark-up...maybe selection? Desperation? Only time will tell.
We are encouraging our readers to contact their state representatives in support of House Bill #148 because frankly, any modernization to the prohibition-era laws is a great thing for this state. Plus, we could really use an extra hour or two of $3 Drafts after work..
