One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
California Bars Will Not Be Permitted to Stay Open to 4 A.M.
Cue the tears falling into your beers: A bill that would have allowed bars, restaurants, and clubs around the state to stay open until 4 a.m. heard its "last call" Tuesday, and was killed in the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization.
SB 635 was voted down, 6-4, with all three Republicans on the committee and three Democrats taking the no vote, according to the Marin Independent Journal. The four yes votes came from Dems, with one voter abstaining.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Mark Leno, who argued that the bill would be good for tourism, increase local tax revenue and create jobs.
Several Facebook pages were created to drum up support for the bill, and despite some public enthusiasm, SB 635 faced stiff opposition, primarily from groups arguing that having bars open two more hours constituted a public safety risk. A Change.org petition claimed that serving booze between 2 and 4 a.m. would lead to more motor vehicle crashes, emergency room admissions, injuries and fighting, and violence.
With yesterday's bill kill, detractors have declared victory:
VICTORY! On a re-vote, CA SB635 has failed passage in the Senate GO Committee. We've stopped Leno's 4a.m. Bar Bill!! pic.twitter.com/vx0ulmY3Zn
— Alcohol Justice (@AlcoholJustice) April 23, 2013
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
