An exclusive, members-only club in the Intuit Dome, the Los Angeles Clippers’ newly opened arena, will soon serve alcohol until 4 a.m. while the rest of California will continue to hear “last call” two hours earlier.
Assembly Bill 3206, which created the carve-out for the Inglewood venue, was signed into law Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Critics argued the bill could lead to an increase in drunken driving near the $2 billion arena, while supporters, including the city of Inglewood, say it benefits the local economy and creates a potential framework “to tailor alcohol sales regulations to the unique circumstances and preferences of their jurisdictions.”
Newsom describes it as a pilot program that will provide a “narrow exemption” in a “specific setting,” according to a letter to the Assembly.
CHP will monitor DUIs
“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 an increase in driving under the influence-related crashes and fatalities,” Newsom wrote.
Newsom has directed the California Highway Patrol, in partnership with local law enforcement, to track DUI incidents near the arena and to report back to the Legislature as part of its evaluation of “any further proposals to extend alcohol service hours.”
Connie Ballmer, the wife of Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer, has been a strong supporter of Newsom and donated $1 million to a committee opposing efforts to recall the governor in 2021, according to the secretary of state’s website.
Though neither Newsom, nor the bill’s text, mentions the Intuit Dome by name, the law is limited to a “a fully enclosed arena with a seating capacity of at least 18,000 seats located in the City of the Inglewood,” a description that matches only one venue. The alcohol sales must be confined to an area “no larger than 2,500 square feet, with a maximum capacity of 100 persons” that is exclusively for “members of a private club who are assessed dues in order to belong to the club,” the law states.
Drinks can be sold after 2 a.m. only on days in which a sporting event, a concert, another major event, or private event not open to the public, has occurred.
The Inglewood City Council has the final authority over whether to allow the exemption, but given the city’s vocal support for the bill, such an approval seems likely. The city also is required to produce annual reports detailing any impacts caused by the extended hours.
Bill includes ‘safeguards’
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, introduced the bill in February. It cleared the Assembly in May and, more narrowly, the Senate on Aug. 20.
“AB 3206 is limited in scope, includes safeguards to protect public health and safety, including approval by the Inglewood City Council, and will provide another entertainment option to complement the over $2 billion of private investment in Inglewood’s recently opened Intuit Dome,” McKinnor said in a statement at the time.
McKinnor’s office previously stated the bill would “solidify Inglewood’s position as a premier entertainment destination” and “stimulate our local economy by extending alcohol sales hours in our arenas during major events, providing a boost to arena operators, vendors and surrounding businesses,” according to a Senate Floor Analysis.
Advocacy groups opposed
Advocacy groups had urged Newsom to veto the bill, saying it would be the “precursor to similar bills up and down the state, eroding and eventually gutting the century’s long-established 2 a.m. ‘last call’ statewide.”
Several unsuccessful attempts have been launched over the years to increase last call to 4 a.m. statewide. SB 905 in 2018 would have allowed bars and clubs in specific cities, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Coachella and West Hollywood, to apply for a license for additional hours. The bill made it through the Legislature, only to be vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown.
