Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
If you’ve been watching the social media feeds or headlines of those who report on California State politics (rather than here, where we focus almost exclusively on Newport politics), then you have doubtlessly heard that the California Senate has passed SB384 which will allow alcohol sales until 4am, just like New York City.
(side note: Here’s a map of the Last Call times throughout the US. Don’t you love my MS-Paint skills?)
However, those headlines you read are a bit misleading. SB384 has only passed the State Senate, and in California’s tradition of being weird, it can pass the senate before passing the Assembly (our state version of the House of Representatives). Next stop for this bill is actually the Assembly, where it will be stalled by actors such as MADD and a few rural Police Unions. It’s not a “Priority Bill”, according to my source who watches these sorts of things, so there will be no rush on it. After it passes the CA Assembly, it will need to be approved by Governor Jerry Brown, and then it will be law.
“Wow, that’s a lot of hubub. After that’s all done, can I stay out drinking PBR Martini Carbombs until 4am?”, you ask? First: that sounds like a disgusting drink. Second: No. This doesn’t automatically grandfather someone into being able to be open, unfortunately. It actually establishes ANOTHER alcohol license. So in addition to the alcohol license running until 2am, you would get another alcohol license which would cover you from 2am until 4am.
The odds of Newport Beach implementing this in our current state of affairs does not look likely at all.
So don’t hold your breath yet– there is a lot of legwork to be done to even get this legal on a state level… and once it is, we’ve got a long way to go as a city. So hurry up and finish your PBR Martini Carbomb, because at 2am tonight, you don’t have to go home, but you won’t be able to order one of those again anytime soon. Thank goodness. That is so gross.
