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Music

Californian Clubbers Are One Step Closer to Partying Until 4 AM

A bill proposing the extension of alcohol service hours was just approved by the California Senate.
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California nightlife is one step closer to being able to (legally) stretch out to nearly sunrise. Yesterday, May 31, the California Senate approved a bill that would extend alcohol sales hours from 2 AM to as late as 4 AM. The bill would apply to clubs, bars, and restaurants, but not to liquor stores or retail establishments.

Senate Bill 384, known also as The LOCAL Act (Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night), was proposed by Senator Scott Wiener back in February of this year. According to the Senate's website, local governing bodies would be allowed, but not required, to choose whether or not to adopt the bill in their respective cities. If they do, they must first develop and get approved a plan showing that extending sales hours would be be not only convenient for the public, but also a necessity. The plan, the site adds, must demonstrate "resident and business support, as well as the availability of transportation services."

The LOCAL Act is the first bill of its kind to pass the Senate since the Prohibition era; as SF Gate noted, a similar bill was proposed by Wiener's predecessor, Mark Leno, in 2013 but was withdrawn due to lack of support. However, the victory isn't won just yet: the bill must now be taken to the state Assembly for review and a vote before potentially being signed into action by the governor.

If successful, the move would put cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego—all established clubbing hotspots in their own right—on par with other US cities including Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas. According to the Senate website, "20 states allow alcohol sales after 2 AM"

"Nightlife is hugely important to California's culture and economy, and it's time to move away from our outdated one-size-fits-all approach to last call," wrote Wiener on Facebook in response to the bill's passing.