Last call at 4am in California? Governor says yes to private club at new LA Clippers arena

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The last call to serve drinks is 2 a.m. in California, but the state will soon issue an exception to allow alcohol to be served until 4 a.m. at a private members-only club in the Los Angeles Clippers' new state – Art Arena.

The new law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend, allows about 100 club members to serve wine, beer and other liquor in private suites at the Intuit Dome until 4 a.m. 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 donated $1 million to Newsom's campaign in 2021 to help fight a recall election against the governor. According to lobbying reports, Steve Ballmer's group spent about $220,000 this year, among other things, to persuade lawmakers to approve the legislation.

The measure was criticized by some, including ethics experts, for granting an exemption to benefit the family member of a major campaign donor.

“It will certainly be a problem for his opponents and critics to point out that he appeared to do special favors to a wealthy sports franchise owner and his establishment, as well as his wealthy fans,” said John Pelissero, director of government ethics at Santa Clara -University. “It just doesn’t look good.”

Newsom spokesman Izzy Gardon said, “The governor’s legislative decisions are made solely based on the bill at hand.”

It's not the first time the governor has faced backlash for making exceptions for a select few. He was criticized for attending a birthday party in 2020 at the expensive French Laundry restaurant in the wine country north of San Francisco, breaking the very rules he had been preaching to the public to slow the spread of the coronavirus during the pandemic.

California's new law, which provides an exemption for private club members, comes after California lawmakers unsuccessfully pushed for years to extend the latest beverage fee in some cities. Several states, including New York and Tennessee, have already passed laws extending hours past 2 a.m

“If they think that opening venues and drinking until 4 a.m. is only good for exclusive groups, then it should apply to everyone, and I submit that it is not good for anyone,” Republican Senator Kelly Seyarto said in the August of the measure.

Representatives for Steve Ballmer did not immediately respond to calls about the new law and possible influence.

The arena in Inglewood — 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the team's old arena in downtown Los Angeles — officially opened in August with 18,000 seats. It plans to host the 2026 All-Star Game and serve as a basketball venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Proponents of California's new law said it is a pilot program that will boost the local economy and attract more visitors to the city's entertainment hub, Inglewood, which has several iconic venues including the Rams' SoFi Stadium, the Forum and now the new Intuit dome. By law, the exemption expires in January 2030 and the new last-call rule still requires final approval from the city. Opponents fear the new last call times will lead to more drunk driving and encourage excessive alcohol consumption.

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

“I remain cognizant of the potential public safety risks posed by expanding hours of service for serving alcoholic beverages, which could lead to an increase in traffic accidents and deaths due to the influence of alcohol,” Newsom said.