During his fifth State of the State address Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy proposed an overhaul to the state’s liquor licensing system, and announced a program that would allow people in the state to freely obtain the overdose-reversing drug, naloxone.
Murphy’s proposal would gradually ease current liquor licensing restrictions allowing more businesses to apply for a license. The Democrat said the move would help revitalize downtown districts across the state after the pandemic took a toll on the local restaurant scene.
“Our liquor licensing regime is antiquated and confusing,” Murphy said. “We rely on a foundation of rules written in the days immediately after Prohibition to govern a 21st-century economy, that makes no sense.” Read more from WHYY.