Will MA Lawmakers Bring Back Happy Hour?

MASSACHUSETTS — Last Thursday the Senate approved the latest push to bring back "Happy Hour" to Massachusetts.

According to the State House News Service, senators approved a late-night vote of Sen. Julian Cyr's amendment to the law that banned Happy Hour from the Bay State in the first place.

The amendment was one of several attached to the Senate's $4.4 billion economic development bill, which also includes $500 million in tax rebates. In addition to the amendment, the economic development bill will also combine authorizations with spending from the state's fiscal year 2022 budget surplus and the American Rescue Plan Act funds to invest in housing development, hospitals that need work, climate change, child care, and more.

Massachusetts was the first state to ban Happy Hour back in 1984, citing multiple drunk driving accidents as a result of the discounted drink promotions. This amendment would give cities and towns across the Commonwealth the ability to set rules for Happy Hour, and no drink discounts would be allowed after 10 p.m.

Read more: Only In Massachusetts: Why Can't I Go To Happy Hour?

Eight other states have since banned Happy Hour: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont. Massachusetts' ban, in particular, circled around the death of 20-year-old Kathleen Barry, of Weymouth, after she and some friends won free pitchers of beer during Happy Hour at a Ground Round in Braintree.

As they left the restaurant, they piled into a 1975 Chevrolet sedan for a joyride around a parking lot. Barry fell from the car driven by a man who had consumed "at least seven beers" and was dragged 50 feet, breaking her neck, arms, and legs.

Before the amendment could fully work itself out, it must undergo a negotiation from both the Senate and House to smooth out the differences between their respective economic development bills - then it would have to be signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker, who has expressed his opposition in bringing back Happy Hour.

"That law did not come about by accident," Baker said of the ban on Happy Hour back in a February 2022 interview. "It came about because there was a sustained series of tragedies that involved both young and older people, in some terrible highway incidents, all of which track back to people who'd been over-served as a result of happy hours in a variety of places… I'd be hard-pressed to support changing it."

Currently, Massachusetts is not allowed to offer discounted time-limited drink specials - and pricing must be in effect for at least one week. Free drinks are also a no-no, and if you're ordering for the group, you can only get two at a time, which is why "Bottomless Mimosa Brunch" isn't a thing here.

Part of the decision on passing the amendment focuses on safety and driving. Since the only option was taxis or cabs in the 80s, ride-share options like Uber and Lyft make lifting the ban on Happy Hour more reasonable. But Massachusetts lawmakers remain conflicted on the matter. Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty are reported to support repealing the ban, while Maura Healey says she is still reviewing the proposal.

It's unclear if Massachusetts will bring back Happy Hour, but after multiple failed attempts, this is the closest the Bay State has been to repealing the ban. If it passes, it could mean bringing in more people to bars and restaurants that may have struggled to survive the pandemic.

It could also bring negative crowds to businesses that seem to already be surviving. Multiple bar managers and bartenders in Boston have expressed their opposition to Happy Hour, saying they're happy where they are. Other bars have mentioned coming around to the idea, looking at ways to create new promotions and bring in new guests.