The California Senate has just passed a bill allowing local bars and restaurants to serve alcohol between 2AM and 4AM, the bill will now move to the Assembly for review.
Under the current law, establishments can stay open but must stop serving alcohol at 2AM.
The ‘Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night Act’ was introduced by Democrat Scott Weiner (San Francisco) and would essentially give local jurisdictions control over whether or not local bars and restaurants can serve past 2AM.
Weiner says in a Facebook post: “California currently has a one-size-fits-all 2 am end to alcohol service, regardless of circumstances. Nightlife matters a lot, culturally and economically, and it’s time to allow local communities more flexibility.”
Weiner’s push for the bill was based on other cities’ last call, plus various financial and tourism benefits for California.
Though the bill has passed in the Senate, it still has to to be reviewed by the Assembly and ultimately signed off by the Governor. This is a big step for California nightlife businesses, especially in cities like LA who have thriving nightlife scenes. It will be exciting to see what’s to come.
