It's unclear if Christie will sign it.
TRENTON -- A bill that has sparked ire among local bar owners at the Jersey Shore cleared its last legislative hurdle Monday and is now headed to Gov. Chris Christie's desk.
The bill (S2606), which will allow the holders of the nine coveted seasonal liquor licenses to open in time for the St. Patrick's Day parade, passed the Senate, 22 to 15.
It's unclear if Christie will sign it, however.
In the years following Hurricane Sandy, as part of his administration's "Restore the Shore" effort, the governor signed executive orders allowing holders of seasonal liquor licenses to open two months early. He did not, however, sign an executive order in 2016.
A spokesman for Christie, Brian Murray, said the administration does not comment on pending legislation.
"We need time to review it," he said in an email.
The nine seasonal liquor licenses are all in Monmouth County, within miles apart from each other. Last year, the three seasonal liquor licenses in Belmar were used by three different establishments, but now two are owned by D'Jais on Ocean Avenue and one is owned by a real estate agent who is holding onto it.
The fact that one is actively in use by D'Jais has sparked criticism from other bar owners of full-time licenses in Belmar that North Jersey politicians are coddling D'Jais and its owner. Critics also say expanding the season is unfair to bar owners who pay a premium for full-year licenses.
Proponents of the measure say expanding the seasonal retail season helps fills a need in the area, which has seen more full-time residents in recent years. They contend expanding the season also gets working-class residents back to work sooner.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.