The New Hampshire House of Representatives has voted to allow bars to serve alcohol until 2 in the morning. That extends closing time by one hour.
Representative Emily Sandblade, a Republican from Manchester, says there are 45 states that allow bars to close at 2 am or later. "Of these states 22, or about half have lower rates than alcohol related accidents than New Hampshire," she said on the House floor, "That statistic is telling us that our earlier closing hours aren’t buying us any special protection."
Sandblade says many residents can drive 30 or 40 miles to drink in out-of-state bars, and this bill would encourage them to stay closer to home.
Under the proposal cities and towns can vote to keep closing time at 1 AM, and local establishments would be required to comply.
