Customers in an outdoor seating area outside a restaurant in downtown San Diego, July 24, 2024. (Special to CalMatters/Adriana Heldiz)
Share
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Starting Jan. 1, alcohol and cannabis sales could expand in some parts of California thanks to two new laws that aim to increase central city foot traffic, which has yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senate Bill 969, authored by state Sen. Scott Weiner, will let local governments designate “entertainment zones,” where bars and restaurants can sell alcoholic beverages for people to drink on public streets and sidewalks.
Some organizations, such as the California Alcohol Policy Alliance, oppose SB 969 because it could contribute to drunk driving accidents and increased alcohol mortality rates.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a similar bill in 2022, but it was limited to San Francisco. In September, the city experimented with an entertainment zone for Oktoberfest and reported at least 10 times more foot traffic than the 2023 celebration.
“Getting people out in the streets to enjoy themselves is critical for communities across our state to bounce back from the pandemic,” Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, said in a statement.
There’s still a lot of broader economic uneasiness, among business leaders and Californians concerned about the cost of living. Newsom has embarked on a jobs tour.
Amsterdam-Style Cannabis Cafes
AB 1775 legalizes Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes, allowing lounges to also sell food and drinks that aren’t pre-packaged. After opposition from the American Heart and Lung Association and Newsom’s veto of a similar bill in 2022, AB 1775 includes additional protections for workers against secondhand smoke.
“Lots of people want to enjoy legal cannabis in the company of others,” bill author Assemblymember Matt Haney, also a San Francisco Democrat, said in a statement. “And many people want to do that while sipping coffee, eating a sandwich, or listening to music. There’s no doubt that cannabis cafes will bring massive economic, cultural and creative opportunities and benefits to our state.”
About CalMatters
CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom committed to explaining California policy and politics.
RELATED TOPICS:
Visalia Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2019 Fatal Stabbing
2 hours ago
Fresno Man Arrested in 2004 Cold Case Rape and Murder
3 hours ago
Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Willie Ray Butler
3 hours ago
California’s Economy Ranks Fourth Worldwide, Surpasses Japan
3 hours ago
Fresno County Traffic Stop Leads to $600K Cocaine Bust
3 hours ago
New US SEC Chair Says Crypto Sector Deserves Clear Regulations
4 hours ago
US Officials Arrest Milwaukee Judge for Obstructing Immigration Operation
4 hours ago
Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill
5 hours ago
China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs
5 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest 17 in Domestic Violence Crackdown

Visalia Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2019 Fatal Stabbing

Fresno Man Arrested in 2004 Cold Case Rape and Murder

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Willie Ray Butler

California’s Economy Ranks Fourth Worldwide, Surpasses Japan

Fresno County Traffic Stop Leads to $600K Cocaine Bust

Wired Wednesday: What’s the Future of Fresno Unified and the Superintendent Position?

Zakaria Draws Parallels Between Trump’s Tariffs, Failed 1930s Economic Policies
