GOP delegates can drink 'til dawn

Folks in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention will be able to drink at some bars until 4 a.m.

Emphasis on some.

The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday voted 6 to 1 to approve an ordinance that will allow bars that meet certain conditions and pay $2,500 to stay open late during the four nights of the event, to be held Sept. 1-4 at the Xcel Energy Center.

About 32 bars, maybe more if they can find a way to add more seats, are eligible. There are 257 places that sell liquor, wine and beer in the city. About 90 currently have licenses to stay open until 2 a.m.

Bars must already have a 2 a.m. closing license to be eligible, and they must have at least 291 seats or be in downtown or commercial development districts, such as Selby-Dale.

If a bar without a 4 a.m. license is caught serving after 2 a.m., it faces a $2,000 fine per incident.

The restrictions were put in place to reduce the number of neighborhood bars staying open late.

There were no toasts, just a quick and quiet vote. Council Member Lee Helgen was the lone dissenter.

The Legislature gave metro-area cities the authority to allow bars to remain open until 4 a.m. during the convention, action that came after the council had voted 4 to 3 against an earlier proposal.

Mayor Chris Coleman's office urged the council to reconsider, saying that St. Paul businesses would be at a competitive disadvantage if they couldn't stay open until 4 a.m.

Minneapolis approved a resolution last week allowing bars in the downtown area and hotels to stay open until 4 a.m. for a $2,500 fee.

The Bloomington City Council is expected to take up the matter in July.