In advance of the Republican National Convention scheduled for July 2024 in Milwaukee, Gov. Tony Evers included a potential change to Wisconsin alcohol laws in his proposed budget that would extend bar operating hours until 4 a.m. during the Convention.
This change would apply to 14 counties in eastern Wisconsin which would see the largest impact. By extending bar hours, Wisconsin and local establishments can capitalize on the windfall of spending from the large number of attendees coming to Milwaukee for the conference and help those attendees improve their experience of Wisconsin.
The RNC is expected to bring 60,000 people to Milwaukee between delegates, press and attendees — but there is not enough hotel capacity within the Milwaukee region to accommodate this surge of people.
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In preparation for the 2020 Democratic Convention three years ago, hotels were booked as far away as Madison and Chicago, entailing significant travel time from a convention that does not end until late in the evening.
Changing countywide bar hours to 4 a.m. would allow pubs to remain open and serve convention-goers, providing them convenience and improving their stays in Wisconsin. This will also increase restaurant and bar sales, which would boost state and municipalities’ tax revenues in addition to allowing businesses to take advantage of the influx of visitors.
There is significant bipartisan and industry support for this proposal. Evers, a Democrat, put forth the proposal in his budget recommendation, but Republican-aligned organizations like The Tavern League, which represents Wisconsin’s bars and restaurants, are showing their support as well. Rep. Rob Swearingen, a Republican from Rhinelander, put forth a similar proposal before the 2020 Democratic National Convention, but the proposal was dropped as a result of the pandemic.
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There are concerns surrounding the effects of extended bar hours on public health, and these concerns are warranted. Increased alcohol consumption worsens health outcomes and longer bar hours may increase drunk driving incidents. For this reason, a permanent extension is not worth the health and safety costs and should be avoided.
But the effects of a four-day extension to accommodate this specific event would likely be limited. Additionally, the Evers proposal indicates that localities would have to individually extend bar hours — any that would wish to keep the current bar hours for the convention are free to do so without pushback.
Extending bar hours for the duration of the Republican National Convention would provide a boon to state and local finances, businesses and convention-goers. It accommodates the unique needs of the convention while limiting potential negative effects, and should be passed in the current session.
Aiden Nellis ([email protected]) is a sophomore studying economics and political science.
