by Emily Cahn
The D.C. Council amended emergency legislation passed earlier this month, to now allow bars and nightclubs around the city to serve alcohol until 4 a.m., rather than 5 a.m. as previously reported, to help accommodate the large crowds expected to exceed 1 million people for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration next month.
According to the Washington Post, amendments to the policy will now require all bars and nightclubs to pay a registration fee of $250 for each night they plan to stay open past the normal hours of 2 a.m. during the week, and 3 a.m. on weekends. Restaurants wishing to serve alcohol past these hours will be required to pay a $100 registration fee.
The policy was amended after Sens. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) protested the legislation, citing security concerns that the city’s law enforcement personnel would not be able to handle the extra hours, the Washington Post reported.
Despite these amendments, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs will still be allowed to stay open for 24 hours from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21 to accommodate the crowds that will be in town for Obama’s inauguration on Jan 20.
