ABC57 News in South Bend, Ind. covers all of Michiana including St. Joseph, Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaPorte and Marshall counties in Indiana and Berrien, Cass, Van Buren and St. Joseph counties in Mich.
The current law that was passed as an emergency measure during the pandemic last September allows outdoor public drinking, and allows businesses to serve alcohol in public and outdoor spaces.
The goal was to support restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only boosting their sales but keeping customers outside instead of clustering them indoors where they were more likely to spread or contract the virus.
Commissioners say the temporary law hasn’t resulted in any problems so there is no reason not to keep it on the books.
While some Florida beaches allow drinking, permitting beer, wine or cocktails to be consumed outdoors on public property is rare in municipalities anywhere in the nation. State law continues to forbid drinking alcohol inside a vehicle on the road.