Governor's This Week: Alcohol-to-Go, Homelessness, Unemployment and More

TX, FL, IA Govs Sign on for Alcohol to Go:

The governors of Florida, Iowa and Texas signed measures last week that make permanent pandemic-induced temporary regulations allowing restaurants to sell alcohol to go or for delivery.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) started the week by signing HF 766, which allows delivery of alcohol from bars and restaurants by third-party delivery services and removes a requirement that deliveries of alcoholic liquor, wine or beer be made in a vehicle owned, leased or under the control of the holder of an alcohol license or permit.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott followed her lead a few days later by inking his name on HB 1024, a measure that allows the sale of mixed drinks, beer and wine in pickup and delivery orders as long as the beverages are in a sealed, tamper-proof container and accompany food.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was next up, signing a bill (SB 148) that allows for those sales as long as food makes up at least 40 percent of the total order. Those sales must also stop whenever the food vendor stops making food or at midnight, whichever comes first.

At least 30 states have issued temporary regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow to-go alcohol sales. Iowa, Texas and Florida become the 9^th, 10^th and 11^th states respectively to make those laws permanent. Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Montana, Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas are the others. The District of Columbia has done so as well.

Dozens of other states are considering similar measures, including California, where the Senate passed SB 389 last Tuesday. It is now in the Assembly. (STATE NET, MIAMI HERALD, PEW CHARITABLE TRUST, DISTILLED SPIRIT COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES)

Newsom Allocates $12 Billion to Battle Homelessness:

Flush with a $76 billion budget surplus and billions more in federal pandemic relief, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced he will allocate $12 billion toward addressing the state’s worst-in the-nation homelessness problem. The proposal includes $8.75 billion over two years to create an estimated 46,000 housing units and another $3.5 billion for rental subsidies, new housing and shelter resources. It further includes almost $50 million in targeted programs and grants to local governments, to move people out of homeless encampments and into stable housing. (CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

NV Gov Pitches State Infrastructure Bank:

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) pitched a proposal to create a state infrastructure bank to review, approve and help fund infrastructure projects across the state. The measure (SB 430) would also allocate $75 million to fund the bank. It goes now to lawmakers. (MYNEWS4 [RENO])

GOP Govs End Enhanced Pandemic Unemployment Benefits:

Claiming the extra $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits are discouraging people from rejoining the workforce, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) announced the Show Me State would be ending those benefits on June 12^th. Missouri becomes the 17th state with a Republican governor to cut off the additional funding, which the federal government pays for as a way to mitigate the massive spike in unemployment brought on by the pandemic. The others are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, CNBC, BUSINESS INSIDER, NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN)

-- Compiled by RICH EHISEN