May 21, 2016 2 min read

Given the way Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and their respective camps are quarreling, it could be that a lot of Democrats will need to down some stiff drinks once they settle in for the party’s quadrennial convention in Philadelphia at the end of July.

You’ll be glad to know that Pennsylvania – not the most forward-looking state when it comes to laws regarding alcohol – is going to accommodate the imbibing of the assembled politicos, activists and journalists.

Last week, the state Senate approved a measure that will allow Philadelphia restaurants and hotels to keep serving alcohol until 4 a.m. during the convention, two hours beyond the 2 a.m. last call that has long been on the books. The Senate also signed off on a plan that will allow delegations to bring their own alcohol into the commonwealth, and avoid having to purchase it through the cumbersome, antiquated state-store system, with its markups and taxes. The restaurants and hotels will be able to get these waivers from the Liquor Control Board for a mere $5,000 apiece.

The proposal is on its way to the House. Lawmakers were quick to point out that a similar exemption was provided for the Republicans when they had their convention in Philadelphia in 2000, and that those attending such a high-profile event should not be subjected to Pennsylvania’s otherwise complicated laws when it comes to alcohol.

Let’s applaud their bipartisanship. But how about extending the same privilege to every other convention that comes to Pennsylvania.

For that matter, how about extending the same privilege to the commonwealth’s own residents.