LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In an effort to curb violence, council member Cassie Chambers Armstrong is proposing an ordinance to temporarily change liquor license hours in Louisville.
The ordinance will temporarily roll back the city's liquor license hours from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. Chambers Armstrong said the decision comes after increased gun violence in areas most impacted by businesses open late.
Chambers Armstrong — who represents areas like Deer Park, the Highlands and parts of Germantown — said neighborhoods impacted have passed resolutions asking for action and expressed concerns for community safety.
"What I am looking to do is temporarily change these hours in response to record crime, particularly gun violence," Chambers Armstrong said.
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Chambers Armstrong said she'd spoken to business owners who were on board and said some had even cut back hours themselves.
Micah McGowan owns Play Dance Bar and did just that, making last call 3 a.m. after the pandemic. He doesn't think hours should be cut any further.
“Closing bars at 2 a.m. will do irreparable harm to business that are just getting back on their feet," he said.
McGowan can make as much as $10,000 from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. He said 4 a.m. has always felt too late, and thinks cutting the restriction to 3 a.m. would be a good compromise.
“I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. 3 a.m. seems to be the time that people stop drinking If there was a place that people were drinking all the way up until 4 a.m., I would be shocked," he said.
Officials said Louisville is one of only a handful of cities across the country with longer liquor license hours, with cities like Denver, Nashville and D.C. all closing before 4 a.m. Chambers Armstrong said research shows a significant reduction in crime when liquor license hours are reduced by one or more hours.
"Not much good happens after 2 a.m.," Mayor Greg Fischer said.
Chambers Armstrong said bars open until 4 a.m. have operated in the past without issue, and some have already decided to close earlier due to violence, but the ordinance will "level the playing field for everyone."
"This measure is not anti-business," Chambers Armstrong said. "Right now, we have a few bad actors who don't follow the rules, who put profit over people's safety."
Police Chief Erika Shields said changing the hours would also give LMPD some relief. The department is short about 250 officers, and Chambers Armstrong said the city has almost tripled the number of officers in the Highlands, taking away resources from other districts.
"We are so strapped for manpower that the added two hours may not sound like much, but it is," Shields said.
Chambers Armstrong said they will continue looking at the data to see if the temporary change changes the environment and landscape. After that, she would consider community conversations about extending hours again.
Council is expected to discuss the ordinance next week. If passed, it would take effect 7 days later and expire Dec. 31, 2021.
Chambers Armstrong is holding a community meeting at Highlands Baptist Church Tuesday, Aug. 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. If you would like to have your voice heard on the issue before a decision is made, click here.
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