Council Adopts Resolution Opposing Bill That Would Extend Bar Hours

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution Tuesday opposing a bill pending in the state legislature that would allow bars in Los Angeles — and nine other cities — to remain open until 4 a.m.

The bill, SB 58, introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would create a five-year pilot program beginning in 2022 that would allow bars to remain open until 4 a.m. in Cathedral City, Coachella, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Palm Springs, Sacramento, Fresno, San Francisco and West Hollywood. Existing law prohibits the sale of alcohol from 2 to 6 a.m.

Wiener has proposed the 4 a.m. last call bill three times. One of his previous bills died in committee, and another was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. But Wiener continues to push the effort.

“California’s century-old, rigid 2 a.m. closing time, which applies equally in large urban areas and small farm towns, stifles our nighttime economy,” Wiener said earlier this year. “We should embrace nightlife and give local communities the ability to tailor their nightlife to their own needs.”

But Los Angeles Councilman Paul Koretz said the bill would put people in danger, and he authored the resolution to oppose the state bill.

“If this passes, we expect more assaults, more DUIs, more injuries and more death,” he said during a morning rally outside City Hall.

Koretz’s resolution passed 10-2 — councilmen David Ryu and Joe Buscaino voted against the resolution.

“”I think we would have that opportunity locally to figure out whether this is a bill that would help or hurt,” Ryu said. “I think this gives us more local control. I want to see how to use this bill to make sure … our streets are more safe.”

Koretz reiterated the results of a report released in July by the Alcohol Research Group and Public Health Institute that found if 5% the city’s bars stayed open until 4 a.m., it would cost Los Angeles $50.2 million annually due to public safety needs and other social burdens. It estimated the cost could rise into the billions if 20 percent of the market participated over five years.

According to a legislative analysis of the bill, it would cost the state at least $2-$3 million just to implement the program, along with a $500,000 allocation for the California Highway Patrol during the first year. But net revenue statewide from excise taxes could be about $1.6-$3 million annually during the pilot phase, according to the analysis.

The bill is slated to be heard once again in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and Friday is the last day the bill can be heard.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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