Newsom signs California bill extending alcohol sales in one place only
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed a bill into law extending the sale of alcohol - but only in one place in the entire state of California.
Assembly Bill 3206 allows alcohol to be sold until 4 a.m. to VIP suiteholders at the private club in the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the future arena of the Los Angeles Clippers. The club is expected to accommodate around100 people, while the arena can seat 18,000.
Right now state law prohibits alcohol sales between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., but this new bill makes the private club the one and only exception due to one key detail - it is the only fully-enclosed arena in the state.
Newsom said he will direct the California Highway Patrol to work alongside local law enforcement agencies to enforce the law, as he acknowledged the safety risks of extending last call.
"I am directing the California Highway Patrol to work in partnership with local law enforcement agencies to track DUI incidents in the surrounding communities, and to prepare a report on the impacts of extended alcohol service hours that can inform the Legislature’s evaluation of any further proposals to extend alcohol service hours," Newsom wrote.
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Newsom said he expects the CHP and local law enforcement to provide him with a report on the impact of the bill, which will help state leaders evaluate it when it expires in 2030.
The Clippers are owned by Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft and the sixth-richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg.
This isn't the only bill that Newsom approved over the weekend. The governor gave the green light for several others including expanded tenant protections and the creation of entertainment zones. You can see a full list of bills approved and vetoed by tapping or clicking here.