Various competing interests have stalled or killed multiple bills in the California legislature over the last decade that would have allowed specific cities to grant licenses for liquor service past the longtime 2 am cutoff. But one LA assemblymember has gotten one tiny carve-out passed in her district, with the help of a certain lobbyist.

This legislation allows for an extension to 4 am for booze sales just at the small, 100-person-capacity private VIP club inside the Clippers' home arena, the Intuit Dome, in Inglewood.

The bill, as SFGate reports via LA-based TV station KCRA, is called AB 3206, and it was one of hundreds of bills awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom's signature before a September 30 deadline. It was authored by Inglewood Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, and as KCRA notes, it was pushed by lobbyist Jason Kinney — the same lobbyist whose infamous pandemic-era birthday at the French Laundry became a political gaffe for Newsom that has followed him these several years later.

Why did Newsom sign off on the bill? His aides say this was done purely on its merits. And Newsom said in a statement that he will direct CHP to work with local law enforcement to monitor any potential uptick in DUIs in the area — a primary concern with previous bills aimed at 4 am last calls.

"While this bill creates a very limited pilot that sunsets on January 1, 2030, I remain cognizant of the potential risks to public safety posed by extending service hours for alcoholic beverage service, which could lead to an increase in driving under the influence-related crashes and fatalities," Newsom said in a statement.

Former State Senators Mark Leno, and subsequently State Senator Scott Wiener, have sponsored several unsuccessful bills that would have given the right to a 4 am last call to California cities that wanted it. The last such bill, SB 930, was voted down two years ago, in August 2022, and it would have been an opt-in-only pilot program for just seven California cities that have expressed interest: San Francisco, Oakland, West Hollywood, Fresno, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Coachella.

The previous bills died either in committee or on the floor of legislature, largely due to the lobbying efforts of police unions and Mothers Against Drunk Driving — even though it's not entirely clear that two more hours of bars and clubs serving alcohol leads to significantly more DUIs in the age of Uber/Lyft, Waymo, etc. And advocates have argued that those who do drive and don't want the party to end may actually have more time to sober up if clubs were able to stay open later — though in SF, where clubs frequently stay open with after-hours licenses but no booze sales, we all know all those people are likely on something else beside alcohol if they're still up past 2 am.

And advocates have argued for the boon to both nightlife and the small business community if these specific cities were able to keep later hours with booze at their clubs.

But, in the case of AB 3206, the benefit is only going to go to a privileged few, and mostly friends of the Clippers organization and owner Steve Ballmer. (As KCRA notes, Ballmer's wife, Connie Ballmer, donated $1 million to fight the recall campaign against Newsom in 2021.)

And, the community surrounding the Intuit Dome will reap no benefits from this bill, only its potential costs, if public safety is indeed impacted.

"I feel bad for the residents of Inglewood, that is a primarily African American and Latino town," says LA-based Democratic strategist Mike Trujillo, speaking to KCRA. "They're going to be the guinea pig for a billionaire's wish across the state and that's the unfortunate thing, if there are DUIs and car accidents as a result of this."

Maybe, just maybe, though, this pilot will convince a few more politicians in the state that having a 4 am last call wouldn't be so bad, especially in cities where there is ample public transportation and rideshare/taxi service.

Doubtful, but maybe.

Top image: A general exterior view of the Intuit Dome during an art reveal press preview on July 11, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)