Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced via twitter that Senate Bill 58, which would allow cities to license alcohol sales until 4 a.m., passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee with bipartisan support. Wiener introduced the bill at the beginning of the current legislative session on December 18, 2018. His previous effort to extend alcohol sales hours, SB 905, was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown in September 2018.
The current bill before the legislature is nearly identical to SB 905. The bill is limited in scope, only applying to nine cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Coachella, Cathedral City & Palm Springs. Each city would be able to decide on its own whether or not to adopt the 4 a.m. extension. Those that do will go through a community outreach process while working with law enforcement to formulate public safety and transportation plans.
The LOCAL act (Let Our Communities Adjust Late-night) has received support from assembly members Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles), and Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake) who will coauthor the bill. It has also gained the support San Francisco Travel, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the San Francisco Bar Alliance, the California Music and Culture Association, the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, CalTravel, Lyft, and Uber.
One Los Angeles Councilmember has already introduced a resolution opposing the city’s move to 4 a.m. alcohol sales. Ninth district councilmember Paul Koretz was one of the leading voices against the SB 905 last year and official introduced the resolution last Tuesday March 5, citing concerns over increased DUI activity and alcohol related fatalities.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has come out in support of the bill saying “Every community has its own needs, and cities should be able to make informed decisions about what nightlife hours make sense for residents, visitors, and neighborhoods. This bill would give us an opportunity to look more closely at what is best for public safety and our economy, and to make those choices locally.”