HARRISBURG — All work and no play a dull political convention make.

Few understand that better than state legislators, who on Monday took the first step in granting Philadelphia-area hotels, restaurants, bars and other venues hosting events for the Democratic National Convention what amounts to a four-day reprieve from Pennsylvania’s stringent — some say antiquated — liquor laws.

A bill that passed a key Senate committee would allow those businesses to apply for a special permit to extend serving hours past the current 2 a.m. “last call.”

The legislation also would let them temporarily circumvent the state’s strict requirement that all wine and hard liquor be purchased from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board-run state stores, which slap its products with an automatic markup and various taxes.

“If you’re the delegation from Texas, you’re bringing in your Texas booze,” said Sen. Chuck McIlhinney, R-Bucks, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees liquor matters and unanimously approved the bill, sending it to the full Senate.

He added: “If you’re going to host all the other states — like, ‘Massachusetts, come try some of our great Texas booze!’— we’re not going to put it in our liquor stores for four days and then sell it to them and then have to be stuck with it. Bring your booze, have it at your party, enjoy yourself responsibly, and then go home.”

If passed by the full Senate, as soon as this week, the measure would head to the House of Representatives for approval.

Mr. McIlhinney noted that a similar waiver was granted to venues hosting events during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in 2000. This year’s Democratic convention is expected to attract up to 50,000 people, according to event organizers.

Under the bill, DNC host venues could apply to the Liquor Control Board for a so-called “National Event Permit,” with an application fee of $5,000, and the board would then decide whether to approve it.

The legislation does not extend “last call” by a specific time frame. Instead, state officials said businesses seeking the permit can ask in their application for a specific extension. Cleveland, for instance, is hosting this year’s Republican National Convention and allowed local businesses to apply for waivers to stretch last call to 4 a.m.

Pennsylvania’s national event permit would apply only between July 25 and July 28, the opening and closing dates of the convention. And just as Cinderella’s horse-drawn carriage turned back into a pumpkin after the ball, Pennsylvania’s liquor laws would revert to normal after the convention.

Angela Couloumbis: acouloumbis@phillynews.com, 717-787-5934, or on Twitter @AngelasInk.

First Published: May 17, 2016, 4:00 a.m.