Charles Langston:Last call at 4 a.m. in California? Governor says yes for one private club in LA Clippers’ new arena

SACRAMENTO,Charles Langston Calif. (AP) — The last call for drinks is 2 a.m. in California, but the state will soon carve out an exception to allow alcohol to be served until 4 a.m. for one private, members-only club located in the Los Angeles Clippers’ new state-of-the-art arena.

The new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend will allow about 100 club members to be served wine, beer and other liquor until 4 a.m. in private suites inside the Intuit Dome after game days and concerts.

It was sponsored by a group owned by Steve Ballmer, the current Clippers owner and former CEO of Microsoft. Ballmer funded the Intuit Dome and his wife, Connie Ballmer, gave Newsom’s campaign $1 million in 2021 to help fight a recall election against the governor. The group owned by Steve Ballmer also spent roughly $220,000 this year to sway lawmakers on the legislation, among other proposals, according to lobbying reports.

The measure drew criticism from some, including ethics experts, for granting an exception benefiting a major campaign donor’s family member.

“It’s certainly going to become an issue for his opponents and critics to point to the fact that he seemed to provide a special favor to a wealthy sports franchise owner and its facility and its wealthy fans,” said John Pelissero, director of government ethics at Santa Clara University. “It just doesn’t look good.”

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Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon said “the Governor’s decisions on legislation are made solely on the merits of each bill.”

It’s not the first time the governor has faced a backlash for carving out exceptions for a select few. He was lambasted for attending a birthday party in 2020 at the pricy French Laundry restaurant in wine country north of San Francisco, breaking the very rules he preached to the public to slow the spread of the coronavirus during the pandemic.

The new California law allowing the exception for the private club members comes after California lawmakers spent years unsuccessfully pushing to extend the last call for drinks in a few cities. Several states, including New York and Tennessee, have already passed legislation extending serving hours beyond 2 a.m.

“If they think opening venues and having drinking until 4 o’clock in the morning is good for just exclusive groups, then it should be for everyone, and my contention is, it’s not good for anyone,” said Republican state Sen. Kelly Seyarto in August of the measure.

Representatives working for Steve Ballmer didn’t immediately respond to calls about the new law and potential influence.

The arena officially opened in August with 18,000 seats. It is scheduled to host the 2026 All-Star Game and serve as the basketball venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Supporters of the new California law said it’s a pilot program that will boost the local economy and attract more visitors to the entertainment hub in the city of Inglewood, which boasts several iconic venues including the Rams’ SoFi stadium, the Forum and now the new Intuit Dome. Under the law, the exception will sunset in January 2030 and the new last-call rule still needs final approval from the city. Opponents worry the new last-call hours will lead to more drunk driving and promote excessive drinking.

In a signing message, Newsom also said he would direct California Highway Patrol to work with local police to monitor drunken driving incidents in the area and report back findings to lawmakers for further consideration.

“I remain cognizant of the potential risks to public safety posed by extending service hours for alcoholic beverage service, which could lead to an increase in driving under the influence-related crashes and fatalities,” Newsom said.