Bill would allow Colorado bars and restaurants to serve alcohol longer each night

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - A bill currently making its way through the Colorado legislature would allow bars and restaurants licensed to sell alcohol to extend their selling hours.

The Soft Closing of Alcohol Beverage Establishments bill would extend the cut-off time from 2 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. for the sale of malt, vinous, or spiritous liquors.

If passed, the bill would require all of the purchased drinks to be removed from the bars or restaurants' consumption areas by 3 a.m. In other words, instead of closing at 2 a.m., businesses could close at 3 a.m.

The bill is currently under consideration by the Colorado House of Representatives after being introduced on February 12, 2025. It's expected to be voted on by the House of Business Affairs & Labor Committee on March 6, 2025.

Some businesses in Downtown Colorado Springs say the extension would be beneficial for bars and restaurants.

The owner of Azteca Urbano Bar and Restaurant tells KRDO13 he has to turn people away on the weekends when they come in just before two in the morning, asking for a drink. He says if the cutoff time was extended it would be great for him to be able to serve those customers. 

In his 8 months here, Daniel Bonce has been serving up drinks and authentic Mexican food to restaurantgoers.

"We are a Mexican restaurant here in downtown. We are open every day. Friday and Saturday, we stay open till 2 a.m., and we have DJs every weekend. So we have good vibes, good drinks, and good food for everybody," shared owner Daniel Bonce.

Similar to most, Bonce could use a little more business. He says it's been going well so far, but is looking forward to doing even better this year, and he thinks the bill to extend drinking hours could be just the trick.

"It's going to be great if we can stay open later," said Bonce.

While more drinks may be great for business, the possibility of serving alcohol further into the morning has sparked a sharp backlash from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Dawn Cortez with MADD lost her son in a drunk-driving rollover crash after a night out with friends. He wasn't driving but he was ejected from the car. Cortez is worried if this bill gets passed it could lead to more tragic losses like hers. 

"My son was killed. They crashed at 1:30 in the morning," said Dawn Cortez.

She recounted the moment she realized he didn't make it when police officers knocked on her door at 6 in the morning.

"The one officer asked me about Donny's tattoos, and especially one tattoo was the Godfather emblem on his calf. And when they asked me that, I knew in my heart my Donny didn't make it. And I looked and I said, My Donny didn't make it, did he? And he goes, no, Miss Cortez, your son died at the scene," Cortez shared.

Now ever since his passing, she advocates to try and limit anything that could leave other families grieving like hers.

"Out of the three of them, my Donny got killed. And so, you know, it could happen to anybody within (she snaps) just like that," said Cortez.

She is a strong advocate against the bill, warning it could lead to more deadly crashes.