Minneapolis might leave sidewalks unrolled for GOP Convention

Ever since the Republicans decided to hold their national convention in St. Paul, readers have asked me about the night life in the Twin Cities.  If New York City never sleeps, I say, then Minneapolis-St. Paul never goes to bed past 10 pm on a school night.  Liquor can’t be sold on Sundays — and for that matter, neither can cars.  Bars close at 2 AM.  Farmers get up at 4 AM.

It’s a quiet place.  Minnesota, recognizing that dry Sundays and fixed closing time for bars might cut into the revenue the state hopes to generate from wild Republicans roaming its streets, offered a bill that would allow Minneapolis and St. Paul to waive the liquor rules and extend bar closing times for 11 days surrounding the convention.  Minneapolis appears ready to take the offer, but St. Paul likes its sidewalks rolled:

Minneapolis now officially supports legislation that allows later drinking hours during the Republican National Convention — but only if the City Council decides where and when.

The City Council’s stance, adopted Friday on a 9-3 vote, rejects its own committee’s advice to take no position and puts the city at odds with St. Paul, whose council rejected later hours on Wednesday.

If the state bill passes, either city can change its mind, since the 4 a.m. closing bill by DFL Rep. Phyllis Kahn requires local approval to implement.

“We can be a cold Omaha or we can stand up and be a 24-hour city,” said downtown DFL Council Member Lisa Goodman.

The debate got somewhat partisan in the Twin Cities.  St. Paul City Council member Dave Thune, a rather notorious DFL crank — that’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, the Minnesota version of the Democratic Party — complained about the possibility of “puking Republicans” in the street.  Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, also DFL, scolded Thune, saying he wanted to roll out the red carpet for GOP convention-goers.

There are some practical considerations, too.  The police forces in both cities will get stretched to the limit by the convention, and expanded drinking hours will mean more enforcement issues.  New York City had an army of police on the streets, but they’re used to dealing with 24/7 revelry.  Minnesota is bringing law-enforcement personnel from around the state to assist during the convention, but they will focus on security for the actual convention.  They may be less worried about Republicans than the thousands of college students who will certainly take advantage of the loosened regulations.

The Twin Cities wanted this convention to show that we are a world-class metropolitan area, and not a secondary market with delusions of grandeur.  If Minneapolis and St. Paul want to play in that league, then allowing the liquor stores to remain open two Sundays in 2008 and allowing a couple extra hours of revelry a night seems like a fairly mild adjustment.