Authorizing the town of Bourne to grant an additional license for the sale of alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises
Summary
This bill authorizes the town of Bourne to issue one additional non-transferable license for the sale of alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises. The license is specifically directed to Sea State Foods, LLC, doing business as Cataumet Fish, located at 1360 Route 28A in Cataumet, and would allow the business to sell packaged alcohol under the town’s local licensing authority.
The bill also sets conditions for how the license may be used and transferred. It may not be moved to another location, but it may be reissued to a new applicant at the same location if the applicant provides proof from the Department of Revenue and the Department of Unemployment Assistance that the license is in good standing and that all taxes, fees, and contributions have been paid. If the license is cancelled, revoked, or no longer used, it must be returned to the licensing authority, which then has up to three years to reissue it under the same conditions before the license dissolves.
Impact
The bill creates a special local exception to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 138 by authorizing one additional off-premises alcohol license in Bourne for a named business. It affects the town’s licensing authority, the recipient business, and any future applicant at the same location, while preserving the general regulatory framework of chapter 138 except for the specified section exemption. It also ties continued eligibility to compliance with state tax and unemployment obligations.
Sentiment
The available legislative record suggests the bill was viewed favorably and without recorded opposition. The committee report recommends that the bill ought to pass, and the notation of local approval indicates support from the affected municipality. No vote tally or transcript is provided, but the bill’s narrow, location-specific purpose and committee recommendation point to a generally positive reception.
Contention
There is no documented controversy in the provided materials. The main policy feature is that the bill grants a single, business-specific license rather than a general change in alcohol licensing law, which can sometimes raise questions about special legislation or local favoritism. However, the text includes safeguards—such as tax compliance requirements, non-transferability, and reversion rules—that appear designed to limit concerns about misuse or indefinite retention of the license.