As communities across the state continue to debate the 2AM closing time, bar owners in Lancaster County wonder if they will benefit from an extra hour.

Craig Blake is one of a handful of bar owners in Lancaster County, left to make the decision of whether or not his business would benefit from a 2AM close.

"If Lincoln goes to 2, we almost have to go to 2. If they stay 1, we'll probably stay 1. It's almost every town is looking at each other, waiting for the first person to jump," said Blake.

As of now, it looks like that person may be Lincoln, versus most small-towns in Lancaster County, which draw different crowds than downtown Lincoln bars.

"Not necessarily with our clientele. Keno we might see a little extra with Keno since the Keno hours changed with the bar hours, so we could keep our Keno hour open until 2, and the city might see some revenue from that also," said Blake.

With just one bar in town, Brett Baker, City Administrator of Hickman says their decision relies on safety more than profit.

"I think a lot of her revenue wouldn't be grossly affected by one more hour. I think her responsibilities would be affected greatly from a liability stand point, and to get these people home safely, would be more of a worry than the revenue," said Baker.

As the debate continues across the state, bar owners agree, working together with others in the area, may be the best way to pass the latest local control law passed by the legislature.

"I think they're all trying to stay on the same page as each other. I think it's a good idea. I can see Lincoln's point where they wouldn't want us changing to 2 and they stay at 1, and have people driving back and forth, just to get out here for the 2:00 closing," said Blake.

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