California's Late-Night Bar Bill Defeated

No Late-Night Bars In California

A bill introduced by state Sen. Mark Leno that would have allowed bars, nightclubs and restaurants statewide to seek permission to remain open an extra two hours, until 4 a.m., died Tuesday in the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization.

The vote was 6-4 against the proposed legislation, SB 645.

All three Republicans on the committee -- Sen. Jim Nielsen, Sen. Tom Berryhill and Sen. Anthony Cannella -- voted no. They were joined by three Democrats -- Sen. Ted Lieu, Sen. Ron Calderon and Sen. Lou Correa.

Voting for the bill were four Democrats -- Sen. Alex Padilla, Sen. Roderick Wright, Sen. Kevin de Leon and Sen. Ed Hernandez. Democratic Sen. Cathleen Galgiani abstained.

The bill faced strong opposition from San Rafael-based Alcohol Justice, which was concerned about encouraging alcohol consumption and the threat to public safety from possibly intoxicated drivers.

Leno, D-San Francisco, contended the move would allow local control, was in line with hours in other major cities and could benefit business and tourism.

Contact Richard Halstead via email at rhalstead@marinij.com ___

(c)2013 The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.)

Visit The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.) at www.marinij.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

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