In a bid to help reinvigorate California’s “struggling downtowns,” a state lawmaker proposed a bill Monday that would allow cities to permit alcohol sales at some locations through 4 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
Assembly Bill 342 was introduced by Rep. Matt Haney, D-San Francisco. It was co-authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. Wiener introduced a similar bill in 2022, but it was voted down in the Assembly.
It would allow cities to designate “hospitality zones” in which alcohol could be served through 4 a.m. at specified venues on Fridays, Saturdays and official state holidays.
“Downtowns in California are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels almost half a decade later,” Haney said. “As Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Downtown Recovery, I’ve heard from cities all over the state that are begging for the flexibility to attract people during evening, night and weekend hours.”
Why do lawmakers want to extend ‘last call’ in California?
The state’s current “one-size-fits all” approach barring all alcohol sales after 2 a.m. fails to address the needs of the state’s diverse establishments and customers, according to a statement from Haney’s office. More than a dozen other states, including Nevada, Florida, New York and Illinois, have enacted laws allowing cities to determine their own “last call” hours.
As an example, hotel revenue in the Bay Area remains down by 45% since 2019, while restaurant revenue still remains 20% below 2019 levels, according to Haney’s office.
“Tourists, downtown residents and convention planners are all looking for cities with both vibrant daytime and nighttime economies,” the assemblyman said. “Unfortunately many California downtowns become ghost towns after 5 p.m. A thriving nightlife has extensive positive effects on many other sectors, including retail, the arts, restaurants, housing, and large conventions, and will bring more people into downtowns that desperately need them during both the day and night.”
Hospitality zones could also include music festivals and other venues, such as the popular Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, which Haney’s office said have also been struggling in recent years.
In creating the zones, local governments would be required to consider factors including public safety resources, transportation access and economic appropriateness.
Wiener said the legislation was “fundamentally a local control bill.”
“It makes no sense for the state to dictate closing time statewide,” he added. “Local communities should be able to craft their own approach to nightlife, including last call, to meet their local needs. Our nightlife is unlike anywhere else in the world, and supporting it is critical to our economic recovery. I enthusiastically support Assemblymember Haney’s work to allow our bars to stay open later, as many other states do.”
‘Major worldwide events’ on the horizon
California will be hosting a series of “major worldwide events” over the next three years, according to Haney’s office.
They include the 2026 Super Bowl in San Francisco, the 2027 Super Bowl in Los Angeles, the 2026 World Cup in both Los Angeles and San Francisco and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“Our cities need every tool to be able to capitalize on this moment, especially for our state’s hospitality sector small businesses,” the statement said.
Only one location in California, the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, is currently allowed to serve alcohol to VIP patrons later than 2 a.m., thank to a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October affecting only the lone venue.
Who is supporting AB 342?
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Maria Salinas said she strongly supported the proposal.
“As the Los Angeles region prepares to host a series of global sporting events, AB 342 represents a critical step in revitalizing Downtown Los Angeles’ night and weekend economy. This legislation enhances our competitiveness in attracting premier conventions and large-scale events to the Los Angeles Convention Center—opportunities that are essential to our region’s economic recovery,” she said.
Other supporters of the bill include the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Hotel and Lodging Association, the California Travel Association, the Downtown Fresno Partnership, the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Teamsters California, the San Jose Downtown Association, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Uber, the National Independent Venue Association of California, according to Haney’s office
The legislation was scheduled to appear before the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee on April 23.
The text of AB 342 can be found online at https://legiscan.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California lawmakers seek to allow cities to push back ‘last call’ to 4 a.m. on weekends
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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