Column: This bill is why people hate Sacramento under Democratic rule

A plane passes over the Intuit Dome Plaza in Inglewood.

Oct. 3, 2024 3 AM PT

Assembly Bill 3206 is why people hate politics.

Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend, the bill creates an exemption to a decades-old state law banning the serving of alcohol after 2 a.m.

But don’t head down to your local dive bar just yet to raise a toast: This applies only to a private club at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, which will now be able to sling cocktails until 4 a.m.

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor must be a whiz with a turkey at Thanksgiving, because the Hawthorne Democrat’s bill is a carve-out worthy of a medallion.

In an era when people on both the left and right rail against politicians beholden to the rich and powerful, a piece of legislation that only benefits a venue owned by billionaire Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is as rank an example of favoritism as you can find in the annals of Sacramento — and that’s saying something.

Assembly Bill 3206 is why people hate elites.

Restaurant and bar owners have pushed for decades to loosen California’s last-call mandate, arguing that just a few more hours would help their bottom line, and keep downtowns vibrant, at a time when the restaurant industry is suffering. Law enforcement officials have pushed back, arguing that letting people drink well into the early morning is irresponsible.

State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) sponsored bills that would have created a pilot program for some cities, including West Hollywood, to try out 4 a.m. bar closings. But Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed one bill in 2018, and another failed in the Assembly two years ago.

When a tech baron such as Ballmer wants it, state legislators and Newsom seem more than happy to oblige.

Sean McMorris, who specializes in transparency and ethics for the nonpartisan California Common Cause, told my colleague Mackenzie Mays that McKinnor’s bill “exemplifies the disproportionate influence of wealthy individuals and corporations on the legislative process.”

To paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald, I guess the rich drink different from you and me — and Sacramento is helping them tipple it up.

The Intuit Dome is seen in an aerial view.

Assembly Bill 3206 is why people hate Gavin Newsom.

In 2020, at the height of pandemic shutdowns, the governor was caught on camera dining maskless at the uber-fancy French Laundry. He was there to celebrate the birthday of his friend, influential lobbyist Jason Kinney.

Newsom apologized for his night out, but the subsequent uproar fueled a recall campaign that ultimately failed. Among the people who funded Newsom’s fight to stay in office? Connie Ballmer, Steve’s wife, who donated a million dollars.

But back to Kinney. If a friend put me in a situation that nearly destroyed my career, I’d stay as far away from the homeboy as possible. Instead, Newsom signed off on the 4 a.m. Intuit Dome booze bill, for which Kinney’s firm lobbied. State records show that Ballmer’s company paid $530,000 to the firm during the legislative session.

Newsom, for all his highfalutin rhetoric about championing all Californians, just can’t quit the gentry and the insiders who have made his career.

I asked Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon for an interview with his boss. I requested that the governor at least answer whether he has ever signed a bill so narrowly tailored to the needs of one business, and what advice he has for others who want to sell alcohol until 4 a.m.

Gardon directed me to a letter Newsom wrote to the state Assembly, promising to direct the California Highway Patrol to work with “local law enforcement agencies” to track DUIs around Intuit Dome — you know, something that should already be happening.

Gardon ended his email by saying he would let me know “if we have anything further to add.” As of this writing, they don’t.

Assembly Bill 3206 is why people hate politicians.

It’s not McKinnor’s first ride on behalf of Ballmer, who built the $2-billion Intuit Dome with his own money and has committed $100 million to projects in Inglewood, including affordable housing and youth programs. Last year, McKinnor voted yes on a bill making it easier for alcohol companies to sell ads at Intuit Dome by creating a carve-out similar to what some other arenas in California enjoy.

A spokesperson said McKinnor was unavailable for an interview. In an earlier statement, McKinnor lauded her legislation as “another entertainment option” to complement Ballmer’s investment, adding that “Inglewood’s renaissance is well underway.”

The politician did have time Tuesday at 1 a.m. to post photos on social media of her 60th birthday party at a resort in Tulum, Mexico, including a shot of herself with a glass of red wine.

I also reached out to Inglewood Mayor James Butts, who has remade the city into a sports and entertainment powerhouse and has publicly supported the Intuit Dome drinking extension, which still needs to be approved by the City Council.

We once had a testy exchange on a podcast about whether turning Inglewood into a playground for the world is coming at the expense of residents. I would have loved to press him again. No response.

If politicians can’t talk to the media about what they support, what else do they have to hide?

Steve Ballmer, Adam Silver, Karen Bass and others pose with basketball gear

Assembly Bill 3206 is why people hate Sacramento under Democratic rule.

In a state afflicted by so many issues, McKinnor’s bill should have been laughed out of the Legislature. In a state where a blue supermajority in the state Capitol has boasted about making life better for the neediest residents, making life easier for a billionaire’s party room is out-of-touch liberalism at its worst.

The only silver lining I’ve found in this sordid mess was my text message exchange with Anthony Rendon, the Assembly speaker emeritus from Lakewood who’s termed out at the end of the year.

When I asked why he supported McKinnor’s bill, Rendon said he has always voted yes on legislation extending last calls, because he thinks those decisions should be made by municipalities, not the state.

“If it’s a carve-out, it’s pretty sleazy,” he said about Assembly Bill 3206. I told him that’s exactly what it is.

The dots that signify an iPhone user is texting stopped for a while.

“Mea culpa,” he finally wrote back. “Yeah, I f— up and didn’t read it closely enough.”

A politician who admitted he royally messed up — what a concept! If only Newsom, McKinnor and everyone else would do the same.