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• ISSOE TWO Title: .. Extension of On-Premises Liquor. Closing Hours Issue: Minnesota, ..and its metropolitan: communities, have the earliest on-premises liquor closing. hour of any -community with whom Minneapolis . competes for convention and •visitor- business . An extension of the closing hour to 2: 00 a.m. would make the Minneapolis closing hour consistent with a majority of the competition, provide additional entertainment opportunities in the community, and provide additional economic benefit for the businesses and Convention Center taxing district . Legislative Solutions : The law requires .amendment . There are a variety of soluticns . . .The .law could be amended to include any om all of the. following :_ a).. extend_.the hours at local option; b) statewide; c) only . in: the_.Convention Center- taxing district; d) local option license-by-license review; e) by-class of license; f ) demographic parameters; g) a "sunset provision" as a temporal experiment to determine if there is an increase in DWIs or fatalities related to -late hours . Background Facts: In order to meet the current 1 : 00 a .m. _ closing, nightclubs begin last call at 12 : 30 a .m. . This eliminates a third show for nightclubs and discourages many • restaurants from staying open past 11 . The trade shows booked in the Minneapolis Convention Center will often have a schedule where exhibitors will not leave the floor until after 9 p.m. or where early evening activities are not concluded until after 9 .p.m. Dinner and entertainment become difficult in the time before closing . It is a factor which could impact "rebooking" conventions and trade shows where exhibitors have complained to the show manager.ent about their inability to entertain clients or to find adequate food service in the late evening . In the Convention Center taxing district, the early closing discourages entertainment which limits the economic benefit to the city and to the tax collections which support the Convention Center revenue bonds . Political Context : There is substantial opposition to extending the on-premise closing hours . The Mothers Against Drunk Driving argue, without evidence, that extending the hours would increase the number of drunk drivers hazard and pose a significant health risk to the community. Local option opponents from within Minneapolis ( the Uptown area specifically) feel that extending the hours in the Convention Center taxing district would provide an unfair competitive advantage. • There is support from Duluth and the border communities and additional support may be developed from the resort owners. Senator Solon has agreed to sponsor the Senate bill . He has suggested that it be introduced after the election.