Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Minnesota Senate on Thursday passed legislation that allows bars and restaurants to sell wine and beer along with takeout food orders.

Bars and restaurants were forced to close their doors last month under the stay-at-home order issued by DFL Gov. Tim Walz. Many restaurants still prepare food, but only on a carry-out basis.

Sen. Karin Housley, R-St. Marys Point, said her bill allows those businesses to sell the wine and beer they have in their inventory.

“This is something that we can do right now. These businesses are hurting. They need to be able to get cash in the door to be able to feed their families,” she said.

Under Housley’s bill, customers could purchase one bottle of wine or up to a six-pack of beer with their food. Other alcoholic beverages are not included. City officials would be able to decide whether to allow local participation.

“We barely, barely got this much,” said Housley, noting the legislation was the result of extensive negotiations with several business and beverage industry groups.

Small business owners are experiencing real economic pain, said Republican Sen. Paul Anderson of Plymouth.

“To say their lives have been disrupted is an understatement. The stress for them is bigger than any virus. This is their livelihood,” Anderson said.

Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, argued the bill picks winners and losers. He said small bars that primarily sell liquor should get a similar break and be able to sell pizzas and other food items for carry out.

“I, for the life of me, have no idea why anybody would buy a $40 bottle of wine for the restaurant in their takeout when they can get it for 10 bucks at the liquor store,” Tomassoni said. “So, I don’t think the bill is going to work anyway.”

The Senate voted 65-2 to pass the beer and wine takeout bill. The Minnesota House is expected to take it up Friday. Walz said earlier this week that he is “totally supportive” of the proposal.

Many Republican senators made it clear that they want to see bigger things happening soon to allow businesses of all kinds to reopen.

“We’re not ready to open stadiums, but we are ready to allow people to buy a little beer when they go for their takeout. We’re ready for people to play golf on unattended golf courses. We’re ready for car washes to open that are automated,” said Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, adding that people are discouraged and need a glimmer of hope.

Sen. John Jasinski, R-Faribault, said businesses across the state are hurting and should be able to reopen safely.

“We need to open Minnesota. Governor, we need to do this now,” Jasinski said.

It was part of a theme for the day, which started with several business owners and advocates pleading to the Senate Taxes Committee for state help, including a delay to the upcoming May 15 property tax payment deadline.

The panel has a draft proposal that would defer the taxes the state collects until July and leave it to counties to decide on the rest. About a quarter of what commercial property owners pay goes directly to the state. Christie Ransom of the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce said every bit helps.

“I can say with certainty that there are many businesses across the state that may be using the last funds that they have to pay those taxes,” she said. “They may not have those funds at all. This could mean the difference between staying afloat and waiting for federal funding and closing forever for many of these businesses.”

Walz has said he’d consider a payment delay. Such a move could push off more than $200 million in payments for months.

Troy Reding, an owner of multiple Twin Cities restaurants, told the Senate committee that the year started off so promising that he opened a sweet shop in Maple Grove with spare kitchen space at one restaurant. Then the bottom fell out almost overnight.

“At the end of February all four stores were ahead of last year’s sales by double digits and all were profitable for the first time. It looked like we were going to have a great year and be able to look for the next location,” Reding said. “Now everything has changed.”

He’s down to takeout only on limited hours, laid off 133 of 159 employees and saw his revenue drop to 25 percent of normal.

During the debate over the takeout drinks bill, Sen. Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights pushed back. Klein, an emergency room physician at HCMC, urged his Senate colleagues to be cautious with their suggestions of more economic activity. He said that testing for the coronavirus is still inadequate and warned the health care system could be quickly overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

“That is when young doctors, younger than me, start making decisions about who gets a ventilator and who must stay on the floor and die,” he said. “Those are extremely real decisions, and they will be made if we don’t do this right.”