Bottoms up! New bill could allow LA bars to stay open until 4 a.m.

A proposed bill before the state legislature would allow towns across California to extend bar hours to 4:00 a.m. — welcome news for L.A. bar owners who’ve struggled to keep up with rising rents.

The bill, dubbed the Let Our Communities Adjust Late Night (LOCAL) Act, has already garnered the support of restaurant owners, local business groups, entertainment venues, and ride-sharing companies such as Uber, Curbed reported.

While anti-drunk activists voiced concern about the policy potentially leading to more drunk drivers on the road, some L.A. proponents argue that it could lead to a safer nightlife scene, especially in the wake of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire that killed dozens last year. The bill could eliminate illegal venues like the Ghost Ship warehouse, they say.

“If dance clubs could keep their door open till 4 a.m., it would provide our community with safe, regulated spaces,” DJ Mikey Lion told the Los Angeles Times.

Prompted by the Ghost Ship tragedy, L.A. officials shut down and vacated several local warehouses that failed to meet safety standards. At least some of those facilities were used as event venues. [Curbed] — Cathaleen Chen