A bill that proposed the extension of last call in California to 4 a.m. and allowed each municipality within the state the freedom to decide on their last call hour has been rejected by the state senate. The bill was instead revised to create a task force studying the issue of alcohol service past 2 a.m.
Senate Bill 384, called ‘Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night Act’ or LOCAL Act, proposed by California Senator Scott Wiener would have had an impact on local economies. Major cities with a booming nightlife culture such as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco would have seen an economic and cultural impact as tax revenue and tourism would have increased.
It was emphasized that the bill would allow local government to decide on their last call hour, not require the whole state to have extended alcohol service hours. Backers of the bill also noted that bars and restaurants outside of California are allowed to serve alcohol after 2 a.m.
In a press release following the revision of the bill, Senator Wiener expressed his discontent with the senate’s decision and emphasized the impact that passage of his bill would have on economy and culture.
“There’s no need to study anything. There’s nothing radical about letting communities decide for themselves whether to let their bars and nightclubs go later. It’s embarrassing that California shuts down it’s nightlife so early. We’re not going to give up. Nightlife matters to our economy and culture, and California’s one-size-fits-all approach to closing time needs to be reformed.”
My bill to allow local communities to extend bar and nightclub hours to 4 am suffered a setback today. Here’s my statement. pic.twitter.com/1h6eVEY9Gg
— Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) September 1, 2017
