The governor did finally sign the Omnibus Liquor Bill on Thursday, which means Twin Cities-area bars will be able to stay open until 4 a.m. during the Republican National Convention.

So, party on.

Each city must still give its stamp of approval, and will be able to charge up to $2,500 for a special permit. The late-night happy hours could run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5. The actual convention is Sept. 1 to Sept. 4, but attendees and others need some time to warm up and cool down, apparently.

The St. Paul City Council is on record opposing the later hours, but if all the other cities do it, there might be some pressure to go along.

Another provision of the bill signed by the governor allows Minneapolis to grant a liquor license to a property at 1367 Willow St. S, near Irvine Park. I wondered what this was about and learned the Republican convention is not responsible for this one. Apparently, a new development there hopes to attract a bar/restaurant, but there is a charter school nearby and therefore an exception to the law keeping bars a reasonable distance away from churches and schools was needed. —Joe Kimball