New York towns and villages that have post-Prohibition bans on alcohol sales would be forced to lift such restrictions under a bill moving through the state legislature. The bill, which is up for a state Senate vote after advancing out of a committee last week, would strike down a 1934 law passed right after Prohibition that allowed towns and cities to opt to stay dry, the AP reports. Many US communities fully or partially ban alcohol sales. Pennsylvania, for example, has about 675 that have some sort of restriction.
In the Empire State, only seven communities have complete booze bans, according to the New York State Liquor Authority. The largest, the western New York town of Caneadea, is home to about 2,000 people. The bill's sponsor argues that lifting restrictions will spur business growth and save those who live in such places from having to buy their booze elsewhere, allowing them to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner at local restaurants. "This ain't the Prohibition era any longer. We live in New York in 2024, and this thing is kind of silly," said state Sen. James Skoufis, a Democrat who chairs a legislative committee that most of the state alcohol laws pass through.
That sentiment resonates with Brittany Gerould, a general manager at the Dutch Village Restaurant in Clymer, a town of about 1,700 near the Pennsylvania border. If the bill becomes law, it would bring in "big profits" for the business, Gerould said. "We definitely lose some business because of it," she said of the alcohol sales ban. "We try to do wing nights, but of course we can't have alcohol. We aren't even open on Saturday nights because they were such a miss." Not everyone is on board. Philip Stockin, Caneadea's deputy town supervisor, said he's fine with the status quo, citing alcohol abuse as a major concern. "It gets frustrating when the state hands down mandates, it takes more and more control away from the locals," Stockin said.
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