Published
Thu, Jun 1, 2017, 08:25
- The bill, which could revolutionize nightlife in the state's cities, must now pass through the State Assembly and the Governor.
California cities like San Francisco and LA are one step closer to a 4 AM alcohol curfew.
Back in February, we reported on the Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night Act, a bill brought to the state's Senate by Senator Scott Weiner of San Francisco. Yesterday, the bill passed through the Senate. While there are still hurdles for the law to clear—it must now pass through the Assembly and be signed into law by the Governor before individual municipalities decide if and how to change their curfew laws—it has made it further along than any similar law since Prohibition.
SFGate attributes this progress to factors such as the prevalence of ride-sharing services, which were not widely used when Weiner's predecessor, Mark Leno, brought similar legislation to the Senate floor in 2013. Other groups, such as the California Restaurant Association and the California Music & Culture Association, see the act as a potential boon for the state's $50 billion restaurant, venue and entertainment industry, according to LA Weekly.
Dance music promoters have struggled to circumvent a loss in profits stemming from a 2 AM alcohol cutoff. While a small number of clubs, like Avalon in Hollywood, can stay open until 6 AM, alcohol sales are strictly curtailed after 2, putting California's major cities behind Chicago, Washington, New York City, Buffalo, Las Vegas, Louisville, Atlanta, Miami Beach, New Orleans and Atlanta, as far as curfew goes. These regulations have also driven some promoters to run events in underground venues.
Check out our 2016 Real Scenes LA documentary for more on the California scene.