Latest news with #AB342
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can California Afford the Costs of Late Last Calls?
As CA Cities Choke in Debt, New Analysis Shows Crushing Costs from AB 342's Early Morning Bar Hours SAN RAFAEL, Calif., May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Between law enforcement, reckless driving, crime, and injuries, the financial burden from 4 A.M. last call times may exceed $2 billion over 5 years, according to an analysis just released by Alcohol Justice. The costs far exceed the benefits, calling into question the wisdom of state legislator efforts to extend last calls through Assembly Bill 342 (Haney, D- San Francisco). These costs are driven by spiraling costs from emergency services, law enforcement, motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and violent crime, along with broader economic disruption. "Extending last call times only benefits a handful of bars, while spreading the cost of alcohol harm over everyone," said Raul Verdugo, Director of Advocacy for Alcohol Justice. "Year after year, Californians have spoken out against extended last call times. It's time the legislature listened." "California's health officers are deeply concerned about the harms associated with extending the alcohol service hours," said Kat DeBurgh, Executive Director, Health Officers Association of California. "AB 342 ignores decades of public health evidence showing that later last calls leads to more injuries, hospitalizations and deaths. These are preventable harms. At a time when alcohol-related mortality has increased 70% in just six years, we urge the Legislature to prioritize community health by rejecting AB 342." Although the bill was conceived to help San Francisco, it allows any city to establish weekend 4 a.m. zones of arbitrary size—and those zones would impact every other city in the area. Substantial research shows how alcohol harm spreads out around neighboring communities, including: A 2008 report from Ventura County Behavioral Health showing that intoxicated drivers travel 7 to 40 miles before being stopped. An analysis of New York state arrests showing that counties bordering another county with extended last call times still saw increased DUI arrests. A comparison of alcohol-related freeway deaths in the San Francisco Bay Area, showing that crashes are 50% to 120% more likely to occur coming out of the cities of Oakland and San Francisco than into them. "It's easy for lawmakers to pretend their cities are the only ones that exist," said Miryom Yisrael, Chief Operating Officer of Alcohol Justice. "But most of us live in residential areas, where the party isn't always happening, but the crashes sure are." The new cost analysis replicates the landmark 2019 cost study from Meena Subbaraman and William Kerr of the Alcohol Research Group. This study looked at the impacts per extra drink sold in Los Angeles if that city extended its last call times to 4 A.M. seven days a week. For the new analysis, the impact-per-drink was extended to the entire state, limited to just weekend early mornings, and adjusted for inflation. Assuming just 1 in every 20 bars and restaurants in the state adopt extended last call times, the costs would top $376 million per year, and $2.046 billion over five years. Costs for individual cities include: San Francisco: $27.2 million/year, $150 million over 5 years Los Angeles: $27.9 million/year, $154 million over 5 years San Diego: $22.1 million/year, $122 million over 5 years Sacramento: $10.9 million/year, $60.4 million over 5 years This comes at a time when city after city is contemplating painful cuts to needed services, forced into austerity by budget holes. "From the desert to the redwoods, our cities' budgets are drowning in debt," said Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, Research Director for Alcohol Justice. "Ad hoc efforts to create Bourbon St. on Main St. will suck money away from public transit, housing, EMS, recovery services—everything that makes a city livable." "We've always known that late last calls bring a lot risks and harm," said Verdugo. "What we're realizing is that they're also financially devastating. We can't afford it. We call on the California legislature to keep common-sense last calls in place and reject AB 342." CONTACT: Raul Verdugo(310) 689-9401 Carson Benowitz-Fredericks(917) 426-6443 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Alcohol Justice Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can California Afford the Costs of Late Last Calls?
As CA Cities Choke in Debt, New Analysis Shows Crushing Costs from AB 342's Early Morning Bar Hours SAN RAFAEL, Calif., May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Between law enforcement, reckless driving, crime, and injuries, the financial burden from 4 A.M. last call times may exceed $2 billion over 5 years, according to an analysis just released by Alcohol Justice. The costs far exceed the benefits, calling into question the wisdom of state legislator efforts to extend last calls through Assembly Bill 342 (Haney, D- San Francisco). These costs are driven by spiraling costs from emergency services, law enforcement, motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and violent crime, along with broader economic disruption. "Extending last call times only benefits a handful of bars, while spreading the cost of alcohol harm over everyone," said Raul Verdugo, Director of Advocacy for Alcohol Justice. "Year after year, Californians have spoken out against extended last call times. It's time the legislature listened." "California's health officers are deeply concerned about the harms associated with extending the alcohol service hours," said Kat DeBurgh, Executive Director, Health Officers Association of California. "AB 342 ignores decades of public health evidence showing that later last calls leads to more injuries, hospitalizations and deaths. These are preventable harms. At a time when alcohol-related mortality has increased 70% in just six years, we urge the Legislature to prioritize community health by rejecting AB 342." Although the bill was conceived to help San Francisco, it allows any city to establish weekend 4 a.m. zones of arbitrary size—and those zones would impact every other city in the area. Substantial research shows how alcohol harm spreads out around neighboring communities, including: A 2008 report from Ventura County Behavioral Health showing that intoxicated drivers travel 7 to 40 miles before being stopped. An analysis of New York state arrests showing that counties bordering another county with extended last call times still saw increased DUI arrests. A comparison of alcohol-related freeway deaths in the San Francisco Bay Area, showing that crashes are 50% to 120% more likely to occur coming out of the cities of Oakland and San Francisco than into them. "It's easy for lawmakers to pretend their cities are the only ones that exist," said Miryom Yisrael, Chief Operating Officer of Alcohol Justice. "But most of us live in residential areas, where the party isn't always happening, but the crashes sure are." The new cost analysis replicates the landmark 2019 cost study from Meena Subbaraman and William Kerr of the Alcohol Research Group. This study looked at the impacts per extra drink sold in Los Angeles if that city extended its last call times to 4 A.M. seven days a week. For the new analysis, the impact-per-drink was extended to the entire state, limited to just weekend early mornings, and adjusted for inflation. Assuming just 1 in every 20 bars and restaurants in the state adopt extended last call times, the costs would top $376 million per year, and $2.046 billion over five years. Costs for individual cities include: San Francisco: $27.2 million/year, $150 million over 5 years Los Angeles: $27.9 million/year, $154 million over 5 years San Diego: $22.1 million/year, $122 million over 5 years Sacramento: $10.9 million/year, $60.4 million over 5 years This comes at a time when city after city is contemplating painful cuts to needed services, forced into austerity by budget holes. "From the desert to the redwoods, our cities' budgets are drowning in debt," said Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, Research Director for Alcohol Justice. "Ad hoc efforts to create Bourbon St. on Main St. will suck money away from public transit, housing, EMS, recovery services—everything that makes a city livable." "We've always known that late last calls bring a lot risks and harm," said Verdugo. "What we're realizing is that they're also financially devastating. We can't afford it. We call on the California legislature to keep common-sense last calls in place and reject AB 342." CONTACT: Raul Verdugo(310) 689-9401 Carson Benowitz-Fredericks(917) 426-6443 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Alcohol Justice Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed California bill would extend alcohol sale hours in 'hospitality zones'
The Brief Assemblymember Matt Haney has introduced AB 342, a bill allowing cities to create "Hospitality Zones" with extended "last call" times until 4 a.m. The legislation addresses the decline in California's nightlife economy and convention hosting, which has impacted local businesses and tourism revenue. The bill seeks to provide flexibility for cities to enhance their nighttime offerings and to support economic recovery. LOS ANGELES - A proposed bill in California aims to boost the economies of downtowns by allowing cities to create special dedicated areas where "last call" times would be extended to 4 a.m. on certain days. The initiative hopes the measure will attract tourists and conventions, enhance nightlife, and support local businesses. What we know AB 342, the proposed legislation introduced by Sup. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), allows cities to establish "hospitality zones" where permitted venues can extend their closing times to 4 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and state holidays. Local governments will have the authority to determine the specifics of these zones, considering factors like public safety,transportation access, and cultural relevance. SUGGESTED: West Hollywood approves extending last call at bars until 4 AM The bill is supported by a broad coalition, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Local perspective California's current "last call" law limits closing times to 2 a.m., which has hindered the ability of cities to attract visitors and support businesses reliant on nighttime revenue. Other states, such as Nevada and New York, already allow cities to set their own later closing times. The decline in hosting large conventions and tourism spending has impacted local economies, with hotel and restaurant revenues still below pre-pandemic levels. SUGGESTED: Newsom signs California bill extending alcohol sales in one place only Currently, only one venue in California is authorized to have a later last call - Intuit Dome in Inglewood - after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 3206 into law allowing for it last year. The backstory This isn't the first time a bill like this has been proposed to California lawmakers. In 2022, Haney and State Sen. Scott Wiener proposed SB 930, which would have allowed three pilot cities to extend alcohol sales at bars, nightclubs, and restaurants to 4 a.m. The bill did not pass the assembly. A similar measure was proposed in 2018 by Weiner. It passed the legislature but was vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown, who said such legislation would lead to "mischief and mayhem." What they're saying "Downtowns in California are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels almost half a decade later," said Haney. "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," said Haney. "Tourists, downtown residents and convention planners are all looking for cities with both vibrant daytime and nighttime economies. 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." "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. Moreover, AB 342 directly supports the continued growth of our hospitality and tourism sector, bolstering Los Angeles as a world-class destination and strengthening the region's economy. We appreciate Assemblyman Haney authoring this important bill to assist our downtown regions." said Maria Salinas, President and CEO of the LA Area Chamber of Commerce. Why you should care Extending nightlife hours can revitalize downtown areas, attract tourists, and support local businesses could contribute to economic recovery. As California prepares to host major global events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, and Olympics, enhancing entertainment options will be crucial for maximizing economic benefits and attracting international visitors. What's next AB 342 will be reviewed by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee on April 23. If passed, cities will have the option to create hospitality zones, granting special permits for extended closing times. The Source Information for this story is from a press release published by Sup. Matt Haney's office on April 7, 2025.
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
California bill seeks to create "hospitality zones" with 4 a.m. last call
Lawmakers in California are expected to consider a bill that would allow cities to establish zones where bars and restaurants can serve alcohol until 4 a.m., in an effort to revitalize nightlife in the state. Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) announced Monday that he has introduced Assembly Bill 342 . The measure would let cities create so-called "Hospitality Zones" where last call times can be extended to 4 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and state holidays. "Downtowns in California are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels almost half a decade later," Haney, who chairs the Assembly Select Committee on Downtown Recovery, said in a statement . Haney said the measure would boost post pandemic recovery, noting that Bay Area hotel revenue remains down by 45% and restaurant revenue is 20% less than in 2019. The lawmaker also cited upcoming major events in the state, including the next two Super Bowls, the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. "Tourists, downtown residents and convention planners are all looking for cities with both vibrant daytime and nighttime economies. Unfortunately many California downtowns become ghost towns after 5 p.m.," he went on to say. Currently, last call is at 2 a.m. across California. The sole exemption in the state is the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team , which is allowed to have a 4 a.m. last call after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year. Under AB342, cities would have full control over which venues would be granted extended closing times and cities can place additional requirements on venues, according to the lawmaker. Haney has previously sought to extend last call before. In 2022, a measure Haney co-wrote with State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to extend last call just in a handful of cities was defeated in the Assembly. "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," Wiener said. According to Haney, AB342 has support from several business groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Hotel and Lodging Association, California Travel Association and the Teamsters union. The measure is expected to be heard by the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee on Apr. 23.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed California bill seeks to extend last call until 4 a.m. in downtown areas
A new California bill would allow bars and restaurants in designated hospitality zones to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. on certain days, beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Under existing law, alcohol sales are prohibited statewide between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. The proposed legislation, AB 342, would create a new 'additional serving hours license' license that would allow on-sale licensees to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and designated state holidays. California bill seeks to limit ICE presence on school campuses Assemblymember Matt Haney (D – San Francisco) discussed the new bill during a press conference in downtown Los Angeles. 'We have to, as a state, help our cities come back fully and recover. We need people in our downtowns. We need them to come here, not just during the day, but at night,' Haney said during the press conference. 'We heard from city leaders and business leaders that they need more support from the state and more flexibility to reimagine what their downtowns offer, not only during nine to five but also on weekends and at night.' Haney also noted that small businesses in the downtown area could benefit from this bill, should it be signed into law, as California gears up to welcome world-class events, like the World Cup and Olympics, over the next few years. Landlords may soon be required to provide stoves, fridges under proposed California bill The bill is currently undergoing a committee review. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year extending last call until 4 a.m. but only for the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
