‘END’ PROHIBITION!

Battle brews in upstate no-booze towns

Booze would finally flow freely in six upstate towns that never repealed their Prohibition-era alcohol bans — under a new bill that some locals say is hard to swallow.

The proposed legislation strikes down a 1934 law that allowed communities — including the tiny towns of Caneadea, Clymer and Orwell — to stay dry,

Scrapping the ban would boost business, according to bill sponsor Sen. James Skoufis (D-Woodbury).

But not everyone is toasting the idea, with some town leaders saying there’s no clear reason to kick them off the wagon.

“The more Democrats can talk about meaningless issues like adultery and prohibition, the less they have to talk about the real issues that they have failed our state on, like crime, affordability and migrants,” Sen. George Borrello (R-Chautauwould qua) told The Post.

“If you really like to do something to help the economies of small towns, there are certainly more things to do than overrule their local rules.”

Borrello, who owns reslitaurants, agreed the quor laws are antiquated but said there’s no pressing need for the bill.

“If there is someone who wanted to open up a brewery or distillery or a gas station or a grocery store, I think these towns would consider it,” he said. The bill would officially “end the local option of towns and cities to prohibit the sale of alcotowns hol” in including Lapeer, Berkshire and Fremont — and is up for a Senate vote after advanccommittee ing out of last week. Skoufis said lifting the century-old drinking ban is needed because residents leave town to spend money on food and drinks. “Prohibition ended in 1933 — for most of us. It’s time for the holdout towns to join us in the 21st century,” Skoufis told The Post.

“The dry towns in New York state often held referendums to determine their alcohol-free status decades ago and haven’t checked in since to see if this is still the voice of the people,” he said. “This [bill] is good for local businesses, good for local economies and good for locals.”

But some said they’re perfectly capable of making that call themselves.

“It gets frustrating when the state hands down mandates — it takes more and more control away from the locals,” said Caneadea Deputy Town Supervisor Philip Stockin.

Stockin said he wants to keep his town dry because drinking is a major public health problem.