Lawmakers send $912 million COVID-19 relief bill to Pennsylvania governor’s desk
(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania lawmakers – before heading for an extended session break – approved a $912 million COVID-19 relief bill Friday that looks to send aid to restaurants, renters and schools.
Senate Bill 109 transfers $145 million from the Workers’ Compensation Security Fund to fund grants worth up to $50,000 for restaurants, bars and hotels with fewer than 300 employees. Another $569.8 million will supplement rental and utility assistance while the remaining $197 million will funnel into schools unable to access federal relief money.
Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, said the bill is a good start, but lawmakers must do more to help the industry when the grant program is exhausted – like discounting state liquor bulk orders for establishments and taking less from their sales tax or tavern gaming revenues.
“We are still in the survival phase,” he said. “Financially, locally-owned establishments and their employees have suffered tremendously.”
The restaurant industry employs more than 500,000 residents statewide, though federal data shows that number shrank 29.4 percent over the course of 2020.
Moran said the association’s average member employs 16 staff and has laid off as many as 13 workers at different points over the last year. Continued regulations on alcohol sales – from early last-calls to reduced capacity limits to mandated food purchases to a ban on bar top seating – further strain owners trying to stay open.
Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square
