4 a.m. bar closings proposed to stem 'brain drain' in Pa.

How to keep millennials from leaving the city?

How about keeping the bars open later?

A state lawmaker from Philadelphia says he will propose legislation allowing some taps to pour until 4 a.m., arguing in part that the measure would help keep college students in Pennsylvania after they graduate.

"While I understand nightlife isn't the only concern for those making a decision on whether to stay in cities across Pennsylvania or move, I do know that it is a concern, one that we can fix, enhance, and, as a city, benefit from," State Rep. Jordan Harris, a Democrat, said in a statement Monday.

The measure is not aimed at neighborhood bars, but at "designated entertainment zones away from residential neighborhoods."

In an interview, Harris said Center City bars would not be affected by his proposal, which is aimed at places such as Xfinity Live and bars along Columbus Boulevard.

The bill would require a business to pay an additional 10 percent of its yearly license fee to stay open beyond the current 2 a.m. closing time, with the extra money split between the state and the municipality.

Harrisburg observers say the bill's chances in the legislature are slim at best.

Mayoral candidates Nelson A. Diaz and Doug Oliver have offered plans that would extend bar closings in Center City to 4 a.m. as a way to help fund the city's schools. They say two more hours of drinking would increase the take of the city's 10 percent drink tax.