The Colorado Senate on Monday killed legislation that would have allowed local governments to allow bars to stay open past 2 a.m.

The Senate delayed a vote on House Bill 1123 until after the legislative session, which effectively killed the measure.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, expressed concerns with the measure in a letter last month, in which he said he is “unpersuaded that extending alcohol service hours will enhance public safety or lead to less intoxicated driving.”

Hickenlooper requested “conclusive evidence and data demonstrating that public safety will not be harmed.” Sponsors claimed that different hours for bars would allow law enforcement a better chance to catch drunk drivers, as people wouldn’t all be spilling onto the roads at 2 a.m after drinking.

After the bill died on Monday, Hickenlooper said, “I sent my thoughts in a letter and made my concerns clear. After that, the rest was up to them.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving held a news conference last month opposing the measure, in which representatives of Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police said a statewide cut-off on bar alcohol sales helps curb barhopping.

Critics of the bill said it would have “far-reaching public safety implications.” They pointed out that in 2016, Colorado saw a surge in traffic fatalities with 606 deaths – the first time the state has surpassed 600 since 2005. Almost a third of those deaths resulted from drunk and drugged driving, critics of the bill said.

Under current law, bars are prohibited from serving alcohol between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Steve Lebsock, D-Thornton, said not all of law enforcement was opposed to the bill.

Glendale Police Chief W.J. Haskins wrote to Hickenlooper last month telling the governor that the legislation would have given “local government the authority to work with their law enforcement agencies to establish priorities and direct resources in the way that each community determines is most effective for their own community.”

“The statewide 2:00AM closing requirement for alcohol establishments … places an arbitrary focus on our efforts, as our officers are faced with an influx of traffic and potentially intoxicated drivers specifically at that time,” Haskins continued.

A Senate vote on the measure had been delayed since March 16, as sponsors worked to gather support. But the uphill battle was too much for the legislation.

Senate Republican Leader Chris Holbert of Parker, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said there might be a way to move the legislation forward in the future.

“I’ve talked with the governor’s office about that and he is interested in data,” Holbert said. “They keep reassuring me that his letter to the sponsors was not an indication of a pending veto, but wanting more information.

“There seems to be agreement on …. allowing local jurisdictions to make the decisions that are right for them.”

Lebsock added that the measure had strong bipartisan support.

“I believe decisions are best made at the local level,” he said. “And I am proud that we had the support of the Colorado Municipal League and many business associations around our state. Responsible, law abiding citizens should not have their freedoms taken away from them by a state government that thinks government knows best. Colorado citizens know best.”