Gov. Ron DeSantis Backs Permanent 'Alcohol To Go'
Tallahassee (CBSMiami/NSF) – Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he wants to make permanent a change that has allowed restaurants to sell carryout alcoholic beverages during the coronavirus pandemic.
DeSantis included what he calls "alcohol to go" in a March executive order to help provide a source of revenue for restaurants, which have been forced to scale back their operations during the pandemic.
During a meeting Thursday in Fort Myers with restaurant operators, DeSantis said he will keep the policy so long as the order remains in place, but the Legislature would have to change state law to allow it permanently.
"I do think that it's been successful, and I would encourage the Legislature to just make that permanent, because I think that you guys need all the help you can get, and I think it would make a lot of sense," DeSantis told the restaurant operators. "So I'm for it being permanent. And I think that you'll probably get a pretty good reception in the Legislature, just based on the experience and just based off everyone having to go through what you guys have gone through."
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