Illinois got its happy hour back. Why can’t Mass?
On Wednesday, life got a little happier in Illinois when Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill that made happy hour legal again — in moderation.
Happy hour in Illinois had been prohibited since 1989. Here in Massachusetts, we understand what it’s like to live life without the magical after-work hours when drinks are discounted. They’ve been banned in the state since 1984.
Former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis put the ban into effect after a drunk-driving accident that occurred after a happy hour event, when a 20-year-old woman died after falling off the hood of a moving car. The driver, who was the victim’s friend, was said to have consumed at least seven beers in less than three hours.
Under the new Illinois law, drink discounts will be allowed for up to four hours a day and up to 15 hours a week, but they have to be advertised a week in advance and can’t be offered after 10 p.m..
Those aren’t all of the restrictions. Bars and restaurants can’t offer two-for-one drink specials. They can’t give away drinks as prizes. They can’t promote games involving alcohol (that means no beer pong or flip cup), and they can’t offer “all you can drink’’ promotions.
Could this pared-down, very tame happy hour satisfy lawmakers here in Massachusetts?
In April, Massachusetts House Minority Leader Brad Jones filed a budget amendment to allow bars and restaurants to offer discounted drinks between Sundays and Wednesdays, as long as the promotion lasted at least three days. His office said it was withdrawn due to a lack of support.
Not much has changed in the past few months. On the same day Illinois signed its law into effect, Gov. Charlie Baker told the Globe political happy hour he supports the happy hour ban. His favorite drink? Water.
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