Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro had to put a drink back after trying to buy it from a convenience store without identification.
Josh Shapiro went to a Rutters to celebrate that you can now buy canned cocktails at gas stations and grocery stores in PA -- but forgot his ID and they apparently wouldn't sell to him. https://t.co/cg6HLZ5jXR
— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) September 18, 2024
On Tuesday, Shapiro was celebrating the passage of a new law allowing Pennsylvania residents to buy Ready-To-Drink Cocktails (RTDC) from convenience stores at Rutters convenience store with other Pennsylvania lawmakers.
According to The Hill, Shapiro tried to buy some Surfside tea and vodka beverages, but did not have a government-issued form of identification on his person. He was subsequently denied the sale by the store clerk. The governor's office stated that others present did not buy the drinks for him, he simply ended up putting them back and left the store empty-handed.
In footage from the celebration, Shapiro can be seen laughing at his own mistake before returning the beverages and exiting the store.
"Everybody's been there," said Manuel Bonder, Shapiro's spokesperson, to the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Follow the law and get your canned cocktails."
Act 86, which was signed into law by Shapiro in July, permits restaurants, bars, beer distributors, grocery stores and convenience stores to sell the ready-to-drink cocktails after obtaining a special permit. The law, which indicates that RTDC beverages should be 12.5% alcohol by volume and in containers of up to 16 ounces, went into effect on Monday.
"This is what real freedom looks like, and we did it in a way that protects taxpayers and supports our state workers," Shapiro stated in August.
He also used the occasion to indicate his support for the legalization of marijuana in Pennsylvania.
"There are Pennsylvanians who may be traveling out of state to purchase cannabis, and that's, I think, something that we want to be focused on doing here in our commonwealth," he said.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
