News & Information
|
| For Immediate Release |
Contact: Andy Deloney |
| April 11, 2007 |
517/377-3931 |
Michigan
Restaurant Association supports bill to allow extended sales times for
alcoholic beverages
Next
step is lowering the fee, full House vote
LANSING – This week, the Michigan Restaurant Association
offered testimony to a state House committee to support the ability of
restaurants and taverns to expand the hours in which they can serve alcoholic
beverages.
Andy Deloney, MRA public
affairs director, spoke to the committee on Tuesday in support of legislation
introduced by state Rep. Steve Tobocman (D-Detroit), which would create a new
ability for liquor licensed establishments who desire to begin sales of alcohol
on Sunday starting at 7:00am and who wish to extend alcohol sales until
4:00am.
“No state presents more
challenges for restaurant and tavern owners right now than Michigan,” Deloney said. “This legislation gives small Michigan restaurateurs
additional tools to meet those challenges.”
He argued that passage of this legislation will increase economic
activity and sales for many small businesses in Michigan, businesses that are doing everything
they can to keep their heads above water in this recession.
While the most important
benefits of the bill go to Michigan restaurant
and tavern owners, their employees and their guests, the state of Michigan also benefits
because of the tax and fee revenues that would be generated by this new
economic activity.
According to Deloney, Michigan’s
restaurant and tavern operators believe that generating new revenues by
allowing increased economic activity for liquor licensees is significantly
preferable to increasing liquor license fees and the state mark-up on liquor,
as has been proposed. “Those proposals
would impose a significant mandatory increase in the cost of doing business for
thousands of Michigan businesses,” Deloney argued. “The MRA
opposes those proposals and will continue to do so.” While the MRA supports the
legislation, it is now working to lower the fee that the permit holder would be
required to pay. The version of the bill
that was approved by the committee includes a $5000 fee for the late night
permit. According to Deloney, this fee
is much too high and would make obtaining the permit cost-prohibitive for many
restaurant and tavern owners.
The bill was approved by the state House Regulatory
Reform Committee. It now goes before the
full House for consideration.
Founded in 1921, the Michigan Restaurant Association represents more than 4,500 Michigan foodservice establishments. The foodservice industry plays an integral role in Michigan’s economy, employing more than 436,000 people and creating more than $11.3 billion in total annual sales. For more information, call (517) 482-5244.
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