By Marissa Ventrelli | COLORADOPOLITICS.COM
When restaurants were shutdown during the 2020 pandemic, a law allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages for takeout and delivery helped ease financial burdens for many business owners. With the temporary law set to expire in 2025, some lawmakers this year aim to keep it permanent.
SB 020, a bipartisan initiative, would remove the scheduled repeal of existing legislation allowing licensed businesses to continue selling alcoholic beverages for delivery or takeout permanently. The measure on Thursday cleared the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee.
To address concerns about drinking and driving, the bill requires all beverages to be sealed in tamper-proof containers and delivered by an employee over the age of 21. Customers must also be at least 21 with valid ID to purchase the beverages.
Several witnesses from the restaurant industry support of the bill, emphasizing that the ability to sell alcoholic beverages for takeout and delivery has been instrumental in boosting revenue, both during the pandemic and in the current day.