Austin restaurants backtrack on COVID-19 vaccine requirement after contact with TABC

KXAN ^ | 08/12/2021 | by: Andrew Schnitker

[Jane Long]

We saw a poor/afraid guy, at a ballgame, recently...who would lift his mask.....take a drink of his beer....lower his mask.....then, lift his mask, take a bite of his hot dog....lower his mask...rinse/repeat. This went on for as long as we could tell (he and his un-masked wife left the area, after a while).

[djstex]

Yes!
Thanks for the ping.

[Rusty0604]

Good! Thanks.

[Svartalfiar]

TABC was enforcing the order set by Babbitt.

I guess since they are in charge of licensing and compliance, it was up to that agency to deal with a restaurant that was in non compliance with Abbott’s mandate.

TABC is in charge of alcoholic beverages. What does that have to do with a mask mandate or not? What part of Texas's Alcoholic Beverage Code gives them the authority to yank a license if a location doesn't follow gov't diktats that aren't part of ABC? At best, number seven, but even that is rather vague and a restaurant that doesn't enforce a local mask mandate that most people don't want or respect, isn't violating the letter of it.

In addition, what about restaurants that don;t serve any alcoholic beverages? They don't fall under alcohol code in any way, so how does TABC have any legitimate authority to pull their non-alcohol business permits?

(7) the place or manner in which the permittee conducts the permittee’s business warrants the cancellation or suspension of the permit based on the general welfare, health, peace, morals, and safety of the people and on the public sense of decency;