Nothing, in our opinion, should proceed through the state Legislature until Pennsylvania’s budget is approved.

But, state lawmakers continue debating and passing bills nonetheless. Some of those political bills stand no chance of making it to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. Others have generated some bipartisan consensus – including a bill passed by the state House of Representatives recently passed legislation (House Bill 1702) sponsored by Rep. Dan Goughnour, D-Allegheny, to modernize state liquor laws by allowing businesses with liquor licenses to have premixed cocktails on tap. The bill attracted three Republican co-sponsors – Rep. Craig Williams, Rep. Mindy Fee and Rep. Valeria Gaydos – and passed the house by a 150-53 margin. That’s a veritable landslide in the narrowly Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives.

Current law prevents licensees from storing premixed cocktails, such as margaritas and mojitos, for more than 24 hours, a requirement that was put in place for health and safety reasons. New products allow the ingredients to be safely stored in kegs, Goughnour said, which would allow bars to put them on tap after adding the alcohol.

Thirty-six other states, including all states that border Pennsylvania apart from Delaware, currently permit premixed cocktail kegs. Not that we should follow a lot of leaders on this issue, but the lack of issues from neighboring states speaks volumes. There is little reason, in our view, that Goughnour’s bill shouldn’t be approved by state senators and then signed by Shapiro.

Perhaps, after allowing liquor licensees to serve cocktails on tap, someone can put a bar in the state legislative chambers in Harrisburg. A few premixed mojitos may help resolve the state’s months-long budget impasse.