Committee OKs bill on bar hours
A bill that would allow cities to extend the hours its bars can serve alcohol passed the California Senate’s Public Safety Committee — the furthest a bill of this kind has made it in the Legislature since Prohibition, according to its backers.
The bill, which state Sen. Scott Wiener, DSan Francisco, introduced last month, would allow bars and restaurants to serve alcohol between 2 and 4 a.m. with the appropriate permits and approval from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Wiener’s bill is similar to one proposed in 2013 by his predecessor, Mark Leno. That bill was voted down in committee. Wiener’s bill
will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Current law requires establishments to stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m. Wiener’s bill would allow — but not require — local jurisdictions to decide whether their bars and restaurants can extend their last call.
Opponents of the bill say it is an unnecessary move that will require more law enforcement and lead to more problems for cities.
Michael Scippa, director of public affairs for Alcohol Justice, a San Rafael nonprofit advocacy, research and policy organization, criticized the bill for prioritizing alcohol revenue over public safety and said he was disappointed in the committee’s vote.
“In 2013, there were people (on the committee) who really cared about public safety,” he said.
“Right now it seems like the focus is really just on business.”
Scippa said his group took credit for killing Leno’s bill in 2013, and they will continue to fight Wiener’s bill.
Proponents of the bill argue that being able to serve alcohol later will stimulate the state’s economy, and in turn make cities like San Francisco more attractive to tourists.
Nate Allbee, owner of the Stud Bar in the South of Market neighborhood, said allowing bars to stay open until 4 a.m would create a “nightlife renaissance” in San Francisco.
“This is a huge victory that it has come out of committee — it is a symbol that this is an idea whose time has come,” he said. “By having two extra hours we would actually double our profits.”