U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has pushed for East St. Louis to limit the liquor sales that he believes fuel violent crime in his hometown, and the city now appears poised to do just that - against the mayor's wishes.
The Belleville News-Democrat reports the City Council voted 3-2 to approve a measure ordering East St. Louis nightclubs to close at 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends.
That's a departure from the current ordinance that allows them to be open in many cases until 6 a.m.
Mayor Alvin Parks had tried to veto the measure, but the three votes that advanced it overrode his objection.
Parks says the new hours probably will take effect at the end of this month, when the current licensing period ends.
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