CHICAGO – Legislation sponsored by state Representative Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, granting local governments authority to give exemptions for businesses who wish to serve alcohol within 100 feet of a church, school, or other community establishment became law today.
“This law is common sense — it will cut red tape for small business and the hospitality industry,” said Feigenholtz. “Rather than requiring legislators from all corners of the state to decide the fate of a business license from hundreds of miles away, this new law gives the decision making to local governments — exactly where it should be.”
Prior law required businesses seeking to serve alcohol near churches, schools, or other community establishments to acquire permission from the General Assembly and Governor. Senate Bill 2436 changes this law by allowing local governments to adopt ordinances so they can control the exemption process.
Earlier this year, Governor Rauner vetoed a bill which would have provided an exemption to a specific establishment in Chicago. His veto message stated, “Businesses should not have to secure exemptions to state law to acquire the licenses they need to thrive. Liquor licensure of this sort should be handled at the local level, where the impact of allowing a business to sell certain products is the greatest.”
This legislation has the support of a coalition of groups including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Restaurant Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council, the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, and the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, among others.
For full text of SB2436, click here. For more information, contact Feigenholtz’s Chicago office at 773-296-4141 or sara@staterepsara.com.
|
