By Bob Katzen
The House gave initial approval to a bill that would make changes in some of the state’s alcohol permitting laws.
The measure would authorize on-premises alcoholic beverage consumption within certain noncontiguous area licensed premises subject to approval by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC). Current law prohibits this licensing unless the areas are contiguous.
The measure also would repeal the current law that prohibits any applicant who has been convicted of a federal or state narcotic drugs charge from holding an on-premises alcoholic beverages consumption license; as well as the current restriction prohibiting any applicant who has been convicted of a felony from holding an off-premises alcoholic beverages consumption license. Those prohibitions would be replaced by a new law requiring that applicants for any license must be of satisfactory character to local and state licensing authorities.
“This bill is an important step toward updating outdated alcohol laws to reflect today’s business landscape,” said sponsor State Treasurer Deb Goldberg. “By removing unnecessary restrictions and improving oversight, it supports economic growth in our communities while maintaining strong oversight and prioritizing public safety.”
Rep. Christopher Worrell (D-Boston), who also sponsored a similar bill, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to comment on the bill.
Supporters said allowing areas to be non-contiguous mainly impacts outdoor seating and patios. They noted that licensees who have patios that are separated by a sidewalk or a road, under current law, have to go through extra steps to extend their license to that area. They said that the change would simplify that process.
They said that for on-premise and off-premise licenses the rules around criminal record are currently inconsistent. They noted that having any felony conviction disqualifies an applicant from holding an off-premise license, but for on-premise licenses, only narcotics related charges disqualify an applicant.
They argued that the bill would allow local licensing authorities and the ABCC to standardize this process and evaluate an applicant’s criminal record more holistically. They cited cases in which an applicant was charged decades ago and has had zero issues since then. They noted that all applicants would still have a CORI check and be subject to consideration of their character and fitness.