Local Legislators Support Draft House Cinema Bill

They also okayed  a bill to exempt Thurmont from solar energy mandate.

 

Annapolis, Md (KM) A draft house cinema bill was approved last week by the Frederick County Legislative Delegation. That moves the legislation forward in the General Assembly where a hearing will be held.

Delegate Jesse Pippy (R), whose chairs the Frederick County Delegation, says the measure, if it passes, would allow movie theaters to apply for a liquor license which would let them serve alcohol to their patrons. Customers would also be permitted to take alcoholic beverages into the theater to watch a movie.

“There’s a trend kind of nationally and kind of regionally around here that permits certain movie theaters to become like a draft house,” he says. “You can have beer during a showing. it’s kind of a  modern business model, but the delegation was unanimous in supporting that.”

Another bill, proposed by Delegate Dan Cox (R) would exempt the Town of Thurmont from a solar energy mandate. The Clean Energy Jobs Act requires  the state to obtain 26% of its  energy from renewable sources by 2020, and 50% by 2030. That 2030 requirement  would include 14.5% from solar energy. Cox says this could cost Thurmont up to $250,000 which would be passed on to residents.

Pippy says the measure   would “amend the state law which would exempt them from this specific solar requirement. So I thought that was kind of good thing to do to help them with that. And, again, we got support.”

Cox’s bill would cap that requirement at 2.5%.

Pippy says the local Legislative Delegation is expected to hold another weekly meeting this coming Friday, January 24th.

 

By Kevin McManus