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Monday, July 25, 2011

Booze Council Passes Advisory Measure to Extend Liquor Service Past 2:00 a.m.

Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 2:47 PM

The Seattle City Council voted unanimously this afternoon for a resolution, developed in conjunction with Mayor Mike McGinn, that says, "The City of Seattle requests that the Washington State Liquor Control Board modify existing WAC 314-11-070, which strictly prohibits service of any alcohol between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and establish new rules allowing local authorities to petition to establish extended hours service areas within their jurisdictions."

The resolution also notes that "Washington's post-Prohibition approach to liquor service, with its state-wide uniform 2:00 a.m. closing time, is increasingly at odds with urban economies, lifestyles and general values associated with drinking and entertainment."

But it seems the next big test for city leaders—particularly McGinn and Police Chief John Diaz—will be convincing law enforcement immediately outside the city limits to support them. If cops and prosecutors at King County and the state patrol oppose later service hours, the city will have a lot less traction with the Washington State Liquor Control Board, which ultimately makes the call. Seattle will need to make the case that, say, keeping bars open later in Seattle won't spur drunk people to drive into the city for another drink after 2:00 a.m. and then drive back home again, even drunker.

Comments (7) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Oh.

I thought this was about bears.

Never mind.

Is a Measute like a Butte Montana measure?

Posted by Will in Seattle

on July 25, 2011 at 3:00 PM

Even if they extend the service past 2am, chances are that they won't actually serve you much later after that anyway...last call usually lands somewhere around 1:15 am, then they take all your drinks away at about 1:30 am...they ARE on bar time!

Posted by fevered7 on July 25, 2011 at 3:05 PM

"general values"

Values, we know them when we see them!

Posted by undead ayn rand on July 25, 2011 at 3:13 PM

Oh no! The state patrol might be able to grab some drunk douchebags as they drive drunk into the city and beat some kid to death in Pioneer Square.. Sounds like an all in all plus to me!

Posted by Janell8me on July 25, 2011 at 3:15 PM

@4: Yeah, I'm not averse to the bridge and tunnelers getting more scrutiny, as we can just stumble back home.

Posted by undead ayn rand on July 25, 2011 at 3:23 PM

@2 They do that because if even one person is still consuming an alcoholic beverage after 2:00am, they can be fined into oblivion. Better to start taking drinks away at 1:45 just to be safe. It is also then assumed that bars would extend these cutoff times to correspond with later hours. (3am would mean 2:15 last call with a 2:45 cut off, etc.)

Posted by UNPAID COMMENTER on July 25, 2011 at 3:47 PM