Lincoln, Neb. has a great bar scene and depending on who you ask, it could get better. A senator has proposed a new law that would allow bar and liquor sales to stay open all day and all night.       

People seem to have mixed feeling on this idea. Interestingly, the people in favor of the idea seem to be the lawmakers. Bar owners can’t seem to imagine or wrap their heads around this idea, and according to the Lincoln Journal Star, one bar owner calls it a, “hilarious idea.”   

The thought behind this law is that losing the 2 a.m. closing time would make it so that everyone wasn’t dumped on the street at the same time, and this would result in less people sent to the detox center and more having rides home available. The other force pushing this decision is that bars could then feel free to choose their own closing time instead of feeling obligated to stay open until 2 a.m.

This would align closer to the concept of free-market. People opposed think that the current closing time is already too late. Some think that there are no problems with the currently closing time and that it already makes sense.    

As for me, I think there is no issue with the current closing time and that this issue goes further and has more to do with taxes. It is stated that liquor sales have fallen since the 2 a.m. time was established. With hope, ditching a legal closing time would allow liquor sales to rise once more and increase tax revenue. This could start a never-ending cycle.    

The 2 a.m. closing time means that the party is done and it's time to go home, it is like a designated bedtime. This allows you to get a reasonable amount of sleep and not ruin the following day. Not everyone I know has the self-control to go home without a closing time.   

Regardless of what happens, the idea of a bar that would be open 24/7 is comical. It will be interesting to see if this law gets passed and what happens if it does. Let’s all just hope we don’t lose track of time and end up downtown at 7 a.m. Sunday morning.