On Wednesday, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2459, authored by Assembly Member Bigelow (R-Madera), into law. RCRC was a co-sponsor of AB 2459, which authorizes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to issue up to ten (10) additional new original on-sale alcoholic beverage licenses in Mariposa County to bona fide public eating places that have a seating capacity for fifty (50) or more persons. Under the bill, the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors will have the ability to determine the timing of new licenses that can be made available.

In addition, AB 2459 also allows for a similar structure to increase the number of alcoholic beverage licenses in Napa County.

The number of retail alcoholic beverage licenses for either on- or off-premises consumption is limited based on population ratios of a city/county’s residents. The ratios that the ABC currently utilizes does not consider non-resident visitors to a given county. In many of RCRC member counties, tourism is the economic engine of the local economy and can draw millions of visitors annually. Yosemite National Park, much of which is in Mariposa County, is no different and neither is Napa County’s famed wine industry.As such, the limited number of alcoholic beverage licenses in Mariposa County and Napa County does not reflect the growing need of lodging with full food and beverage services. RCRC believes AB 2459 will benefit both of its member counties as the number of visitors continue to grow.

Read RCRC’s request for the Governor Newsom’s signature here.