ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — On Thursday, the St. Petersburg City Council voted against changing the way mask-violations at bars and restaurants could be enforced by the city.
The council had been considering changing things up and pulling certain permits from bars and restaurants that violate the city's mask mandate.
Under the proposal, the city would have been able to pull the extended hours permit if a restaurant or bar has two violations.
But local restaurants said that was going to be a problem.
"We have over 100 restaurants in the hospitality forum and they're just exhausted," co-founder of Pinellas Independent Hospitality Forum Roger Curlin said. "I watch these owners and general managers give everything they got, spending millions collectively to try to be safe and many are at the end of the road."
Currently, bars and restaurants violating mask ordinances get fined.
"The people that have been fined through mask orders we have remitted through clemency authority, and we'll continue to do that," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
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