Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Rep. McEntee’s bill extending outdoor dining at restaurants passes House

 

            STATE HOUSE – The House of Representatives today passed Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee’s (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett) bill which extends the law that allows restaurants to continue approved outdoor dining.

            “The Take It Outside campaign helped so many of our restaurants get through the uncertainty and financial hardships of the pandemic and it has been embraced and enjoyed by the public immensely.  Now that the program has proven to be very successful, it makes sense to keep allowing this type of dining experience, especially since our local small businesses invested so much money to take advantage of the opportunity.  This bill will further enhance our world-renown culinary community for our residents and visitors alike while also supporting our incredible restaurants and eateries,” said Representative McEntee.

            The legislation (2023-H 5264A) would extend the moratorium imposed on the enforcement of statutes, regulations or ordinances by municipalities or state agencies regarding food service establishment alterations or modifications made in order to comply with the emergency declaration(s) issued as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to February 15, 2024.  The previous moratorium was scheduled to end on April 1, 2023.

            “I am also working on legislation that will facilitate a permanent solution for restaurants that have invested in the take it outside dining program. I am consulting with all stakeholders such as the League of Cities and Towns, the Hospitality Association and our restaurant owners to come up with a permanent solution that addresses everyone’s concerns,” added Representative McEntee.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration where Sen. Alana M. DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham) has introduced similar legislation (2023-S 0300).

 

Wall Street is mostly higher in early trading as markets remain on edge over the global banking system. Credit Suisse's [[ swees's ]] stock is trading around just one-dollar a share after Swiss banking giant UBS bought its troubled rival for more than three-billion dollars. Meantime, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been up by around 300 points at times already today while the S&P 500 was slightly higher and the Nasdaq was down.       Former President Trump says President Biden "stuffed" the Manhattan District Attorney's office with officials from the DOJ. This, as the Manhattan DA is investigating a hush-money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Prosecutors have signaled a possible indictment, but the DA's office hasn't confirmed Trump's claim that he would be arrested in connection with the case on Tuesday.       The President of China is visiting the Kremlin to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit is the Xi Jinping's [[ she jeen-peeng's ]] first to Russia since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine last year. China's foreign ministry says the visit will run through Wednesday.       North Korea says it used its latest missile test to simulate a nuclear attack on neighboring South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused the U.S. and South Korea of planning "aggression against" his country. On Sunday, Kim oversaw a short-range ballistic missile launch that reportedly landed in the sea after traveling around 500 miles.       California's largest school district is a day away from shutting down for at least three days. Sixty-five-thousand Los Angeles Unified School District employees are going on strike tomorrow unless a last-minute deal is reached. LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho says the loss of so many employees will force schools to close and the closure would extend to online classes.       Paramount-Plus and Nickelodeon Studios are working on a sequel to the iconic '90s movie "Good Burger." Original stars Keenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell made the announcement on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Thompson said, "Being a part of something so many generations of people have come to love has made me so proud."       

Old News Archives