A Massachusetts lawmaker wants happy hour to return. Do you agree?
Let us know if you think it's a good idea.
Massachusetts is rife with sports bars, Irish bars, dive bars, cocktail bars, and breweries, but if you’re looking for discounted happy hour drinks and snacks, you’re in the wrong state. In 1984, Mass. officially banned happy hour, in the hopes that doing so would reduce the frequency of drunk driving.
Now, one lawmaker is pushing to bring happy hour back.
State Rep. Mike Connolly, a Democrat who represents Somerville and Cambridge, has filed legislation to reinstate happy hour in Mass., arguing that it would provide relief for restaurants and bars who have been impacted by the pandemic. He recently cited a new MassINC poll that revealed 70 percent of Mass. residents support discounted after-work drinks at bars and restaurants.
Governor Baker was asked on Thursday whether he would support such a bill, and said he would be “hard-pressed to support changing” the current law.
“I remember what was going on on the roads in Massachusetts when we had happy hours,” he said. “There were some awful, horrible, terrible experiences on a very regular basis that came with happy hours back in the day. … That law did not come about by accident.”
So we want to hear from you: What are your thoughts on happy hour potentially returning to the state? Share your thoughts in our survey below, or e-mail us at community@boston.com.