January 18, 2021

Joint Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee
Maine State House, Room 437
Augusta, ME 04330

Dear Legislator,

On behalf of the 9,516 members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) in Maine, I urge you to support LD 1751, a bill to make temporary provisions for alcohol-to-go permanent.

As business owners continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that restrictions on their recovery be removed.  Since states began to allow businesses to sell alcohol-to-go, restaurants and bars have been able to keep their doors open even as residents have been forced to stay at home.  First implemented at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine elected to remove restrictions on alcohol-to-go until September 2022.  It is now time to make the change permanent. 

By enacting LD 1751 into law, Maine will join 16 other states that have made alcohol-to-go permanent.  It will help the state’s restaurant and food industry, among the hardest hit in the United States, recover from the pandemic, and ensure stability for them in planning for the future.  Further, making these reforms permanent will provide more options for customers who may want to enjoy their favorite meals and cocktails from local restaurants from the comfort of their homes, even after the pandemic subsides.

For these reasons, I urge you to support LD 1751 to permanently permit alcohol-to-go and aid in the recovery of Maine’s businesses and economy.

Sincerely,
Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW

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