Community Rally to Protest State Senator Ricardo Lara's Support of SB 905 -The Dangerous 4 a.m. Bar Bill Experiment
LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 11, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA), Alcohol Justice and the Los Angeles Drug & Alcohol Policy Alliance have organized a community rally to protest State Senator Ricardo Lara (D- Bell Gardens) in response to his continued support and co-authorship of SB 905 to extend alcohol sales at bars, restaurants and clubs to 4 a.m. in Los Angeles. The bill will be heard in the Senate Governmental Organization Committee this coming Tuesday (3/13) in Sacramento. Senator Lara is a member of the committee. A number of his Huntington Park and Long Beach constituents will be present.
WHAT: Protest Rally
WHEN: Monday, March 12, 2018, 12 p.m.
WHERE: Sen. Ricardo Lara's Huntington Park District Office, 6550 Miles Ave., 2nd Floor Huntington Park, CA 90255
WHY:
On the heels of failing to pass a 4 a.m. bar bill last year (SB 384), State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and State Senator Ricardo Lara (D- Bell Gardens), have introduced SB 905, a dangerous six-city, five-year experiment to extend last call hours until 4 a.m.
This bill, like three others that have failed in previous sessions, will spread alcohol overconsumption, loss of life, injury, and nuisance across the state
Fatal DUI is a chronic, worsening problem for California
The U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force found that every 2-hour increase in last-call times results in greater vehicle crash injuries and E.R. admissions. (Hahn et al., 2010)
There is no such thing as "local control" in alcohol policy. The harm from one city's decision to change last-call times "splashes" over to every surrounding community.
California already suffers over 10,500 alcohol-related deaths and $34 billion in costs annually
Senator Lara has accepted $62,171 in campaign finance contributions from beer, wine and liquor businesses. (followthemoney.org)