{"id":51587,"date":"2017-03-30T10:27:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T22:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/english-california-senate-committee-turns-blind-eye-to-public-health-safety-approves-dangerous-4-a-m-bar-bill\/"},"modified":"2017-03-30T10:30:05","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T14:30:05","slug":"comite-del-senado-de-california-se-hace-de-la-vista-gorda-ante-peligros-a-la-salud-y-seguridad-publicas-aprueba-el-peligroso-proyecto-de-ley-de-venta-de-alcohol-hasta-las-4-a-m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/comite-del-senado-de-california-se-hace-de-la-vista-gorda-ante-peligros-a-la-salud-y-seguridad-publicas-aprueba-el-peligroso-proyecto-de-ley-de-venta-de-alcohol-hasta-las-4-a-m\/","title":{"rendered":"California Senate Committee Turns Blind Eye To Public Health &amp; Safety, Approves Dangerous 4 a.m. Bar Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><![CDATA[\n\/* Style Definitions *\/\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n]]><\/style>\n<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">SACRAMENTO, California<\/span>, <span class=\"xn-chron\">March 29, 2017<\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/\u00a0&#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/alcoholjustice.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Alcohol Justice,<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alcoholpolicyalliance.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA)<\/a> condemned the California State Senate Governmental Organization (GO) Committee for passing SB 384. The bill could create a dangerous public health and safety policy change in <span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span> that will allow bars, restaurants and nightclubs to extend alcohol sales from <span class=\"xn-chron\">2- 4 a.m.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Photo &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/484094\/Alcohol_Justice_Stop_Wieners_4am_bar_bill.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/484094\/Alcohol_Justice_Stop_Wieners_4am_bar_bill.jpg<\/a> <\/p>\n<p><i>&#8220;This is a sad example of GUI \u2013 Government Under the Influence of the alcohol and late-night entertainment industry,&#8221; <\/i>stated <span class=\"xn-person\">Michael Scippa<\/span>, Public Affairs Director at Alcohol Justice.<i> &#8220;It will produce more profits for bar, restaurant and nightclub owners, as well as alcohol producers and distributors, while increasing alcohol-related harms and cost at public expense.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The bill, authored by Senator <span class=\"xn-person\">Scott Wiener<\/span> (D-<span class=\"xn-location\">San Francisco<\/span>), was nearly identical to SB 635, a 2013 bill by then Senator <span class=\"xn-person\">Mark Leno<\/span> of <span class=\"xn-location\">San Francisco<\/span>. Leno&#8217;s bill which he stated <i>&#8220;\u2026would require nothing of anybody&#8221;<\/i> sparked an immediate statewide opposition campaign that stopped the bill dead in its tracks in the same committee that acted very differently today. Wiener&#8217;s bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee and a Senate floor vote. Opponents are determined to put a final stop to the measure.<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8220;Wiener&#8217;s &#8220;NIGHT LIFE MATTERS&#8221; mantra appeared to resonate with committee members, or perhaps it was the special interests he represents, the restaurant associations and alcohol lobby who persuaded committee members to choose profits over public safety,&#8221;<\/i> said <span class=\"xn-person\">Richard Zaldivar<\/span>, Executive Director of The Wall Las Memorias Project and Chair of CAPA.\u00a0 <i>&#8220;In 2013 this committee wisely stopped a <span class=\"xn-chron\">4 a.m.<\/span> bar bill. Their despicable action today will ultimately put neighborhoods and youth at risk. It clearly says they value alcohol sales more than public health and safety, big business interest over community members&#8217; interest&#8221;. <\/i><\/p>\n<p>According to CDC-reviewed reports, <span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span> already suffers <span class=\"xn-money\">$35 billion<\/span> in alcohol-related harm every year, with 10,500 lives lost and hundreds of thousands of additional injuries. Local and state governments share of this grisly tab is a whopping <span class=\"xn-money\">$14.5 billion<\/span> annually.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8220;Today&#8217;s green light on SB 384 disregards the fact that state, city and county public health and safety providers do not have the resources to mitigate the economic and social harms of two more hours of late-night alcohol consumption,&#8221; s<\/i>tated <span class=\"xn-person\">Bruce Lee Livingston<\/span>, Executive Director \/ CEO of Alcohol Justice.<i> &#8220;The local control process that Wiener crows about has historically been manipulated by the industry to reduce existing statewide protections while denying local control over raising alcohol taxes to pay for the local harms of excessive alcohol consumption.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<p>The last time the <span class=\"xn-location\">California<\/span> alcohol excise tax increased was in 1992 when it was raised by <span class=\"xn-money\">one cent<\/span>. There is consensus among state public health and safety advocates that no part of the alcohol industry deserves additional competitive advantages until they start paying their fair share of <span class=\"xn-location\">California&#8217;s<\/span> alcohol-related problems. Without state protections, power over health regulations often revert, not to the community, but to wealthy businesses\u2014in this case, Big Alcohol and large entertainment concerns.<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8220;GO Committee members turned a blind eye today to the very real threat of increases in early morning alcohol-related violence, ER visits, impaired driving, and traffic chaos,&#8221; <\/i>Zaldivar added.<i> &#8220;At a time when there is so much uncertainty about public funding for public health and healthcare, it is negligent for any elected official to approve something that will undoubtedly cause more harm and more expense.&#8221;<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Here&#8217;s how the CA Senate GO Committee voted:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Two Senators said STOP to Senator Wiener&#8217;s bill:\u00a0 Gaines &amp; Vidak.<\/p>\n<p>The Senators who voted yes to the restaurant and liquor industry-sponsored special interest measure were Bradford, Cannella, Dodd, Galgiani, Glazer, Hill, Lara, and Mendoza.<\/p>\n<p>Berryhill, Hueso and Portantino were absent.<\/p>\n<p><b>Statewide Opposition includes: <br \/><\/b>Alcohol Justice<br \/>Alcohol-Narcotic Education Foundation<br \/>ADAP, Inc.<br \/>Behavioral Health Services, Inc.<br \/>California Alcohol Policy Alliance<br \/>California Council on Alcohol Problems<br \/>Center for Open Recovery<br \/>Eden Youth and Family Center<br \/>Institute for Public Strategies<br \/>FASD Network of Southern CA<br \/>FreeMUNI \u2013 SF<br \/>Friday Night Live Partnership<br \/>Koreatown Youth and Community Center<br \/>L.A. Drug &amp; Alcohol Policy Alliance<br \/>Lutheran Office of Public Policy CA<br \/>MFI Recovery Center<br \/>Mountain Communities Family Resource Center<br \/>Partnership for a Positive Pomona<br \/>Paso por Paso, Inc.<br \/>Project SAFER<br \/>Pueblo y Salud<br \/>Reach Out<br \/>San Marcos Prevention Coalition<br \/>San Rafael Alcohol &amp; Drug Coalition<br \/>SF DogPAC<br \/>SAY <span class=\"xn-location\">San Diego<\/span><br \/>Saving Lives Drug &amp; Alcohol Coalition<br \/>Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc.<br \/>The Wall Las Memorias Project<br \/>UCEPP \/ Social Model Recovery Systems<br \/>Women Against Gun Violence<br \/>Youth For Justice<br \/>And hundreds of individuals who responded to the <a href=\"https:\/\/alcoholjustice.org\/take-action\/?vvsrc=\/campaigns\/31462\/respond\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Alcohol Justice ACTION ALERT.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/alcoholjustice.org\/news-2\/blog\/1273-put-california-s-4-a-m-bar-bill-to-bed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">here<\/a> for more information on the dangers of extending alcohol hours of service.<\/p>\n<p>CONTACT: <span class=\"xn-person\">Michael Scippa\u00a0<\/span> 415 548-0492<br \/><span class=\"xn-person\">Jorge Castillo<\/span> 213 840-3336<\/p>\n<div id=\"prni_dvprnejpg5de4left\" style=\"TEXT-ALIGN: left; WIDTH: 100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"prnejpg5de4left\" title=\"Alcohol Justice logo. (PRNewsFoto\/Alcohol Justice)\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Alcohol Justice logo. (PRNewsFoto\/Alcohol Justice)\" align=\"middle\" src=\"https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/147418\/alcohol_justice_logo.jpg \"\/><\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Logo &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/147418\/alcohol_justice_logo.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/mma.prnewswire.com\/media\/147418\/alcohol_justice_logo.jpg<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"xn-content\">\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">SACRAMENTO, California<\/span>, <span class=\"xn-chron\">March 29, 2017<\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/\u00a0&#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/alcoholjustice.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Alcohol Justice,<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alcoholpolicyalliance.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA)<\/a> condemned the California State Senate Governmental Organization (GO) Committee for passing SB 384. The bill could create a dangerous public health and safety policy change in &lt;span&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51588,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gobierno-y-politica"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}