By Howard Fischer
Mail | X: @azcapmedia

PHOENIX — A Phoenix lawmaker wants to give Arizona Diamondbacks fans an extra hour of alcohol-fueled revelry to celebrate their reaching the World Series.

But the proposal by Republican Matt Gress to extend the hours during which alcohol could be sold and served wouldn’t be limited to those rooting for the home team when they are playing at Chase Field.

Supporters of the Texas Rangers who happened to be in Arizona also could celebrate until 3 a.m. And so could even people who actually hate baseball.

Gress on Tuesday sent a letter to Gov. Katie Hobbs pointing out  state law gives her the power to extend closing time by an extra hour “in connection with a professional or collegiate national sporting championship event held in this state.”

The statute says Hobbs has to consult with her Office of Highway Safety and “the public safety community in this state.” But the ultimate decision is hers.

As of late Tuesday, Hobbs had no response.

But the clock is ticking: The first home game for the Diamondbacks in the series — the kind of event that would trigger the law — is this coming Monday.

Gress said there’s nothing outrageous in getting a one-hour extension.

The provision was tucked into a much larger series of changes to liquor laws in 2022, something he said was included in anticipation of the Super Bowl coming in February of this year to Glendale. No one testified against the bill and it was approved with near-unanimous support.

But Gress said , for whatever reason, no one paid any attention to it or asked then-Gov. Doug Ducey to issue a declaration.

Gress said he sees the extra hour as “a good middle ground” between the current 2 a.m. “last call” and those who would want to keep the party going even later into the wee hours of the morning.

But that law was crafted in anticipation of a single championship game, and just one night of extra-hour drinking. A declaration by the governor in this case would mean at least two nights — Games 3 and 4 played here — and Game 5 if the series goes that far.

While a 3 a.m. close would be uncharted territory for the state, the idea of making alcohol more available at more times is not unusual.

Until August 2004, the sale of beer, wine and spirits halted as 1 a.m. All that changed when then-Gov. Janet Napolitano signed legislation adding an extra hour into the schedule.

More recently, lawmakers agreed to scrap a state law that banned alcohol sales on Election Day.

Less clear is whether everyone in the state might get to order drinks until 3 a.m.

Gress said he believes the law is flexible and gives the governor some options.

“I think there is latitude for the governor to tailor this for jurisdictions,” he said, including some counties but not others. But Gress questioned why she might do that.

“I suspect everyone in the state of Arizona would want to celebrate,” he said. “If they want to go to an ‘extra inning’ at a bar, and you’re in Prescott on Whiskey Row, I think you should be able to benefit from this as well.”

Gress said, though, that the law appears clear that if the governor grants the extension, it would not apply only to bars or restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages. He said it also would add an additional hour on the applicable nights for someone to stop by a local liquor, grocery or convenience store to pick up a bottle or six pack to go.