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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.
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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
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