Steve Hilton Wants to Boost California’s Nightlife Economy If He Wins Governor

The Republican in California’s gubernatorial race is pledging to launch an office that would take on bureaucratic roadblocks to live entertainment and community events — featuring a title that is clearly designed to grab attention.

Steve Hilton is proposing the creation of the “Office of Fun and Freedom,” a rapid-action team housed inside the governor’s office that would be dedicated to streamlining the permitting process for various forms of nightlife, events at small venues and block parties, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

A conservative looking to restore “the rebel spirit of California”? According to a policy document viewed by THR, that’s exactly what Hilton, a British-born entrepreneur-turned-Fox News host, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, is looking to do.

“California should be the most fun place in America. We have incredible weather, beaches, lakes, mountains, parks, food, music and people from every part of the world,” reads the document on the proposed office. “Yet the killjoy politicians and bureaucrats who run state and local government too often seem determined to stop anyone from enjoying it.”

Hilton is specifically proposing to audit rules surrounding community events, live entertainment, nightlife, food pop-ups and public spaces in his first 100 days in office and propose changes to the California legislature. The candidate is also calling for a single online hub for state event permits with set deadlines for certain applications and automatic approval if they do not receive responses in a timely manner.

How else is he planning to bring back the fun that was allegedly lost? The candidate wants to hand local communities the power to approve alcohol sales at select venues until as late as 4 a.m. (Current state law prohibits the sale of alcohol between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.; state lawmakers have attempted to create exceptions to this rule before.)

He wants to allow bars and restaurants to offer complimentary drink or two-for-one offers and create a single permit for small venues looking to host a band and/or dancing. He wants the ability to bring dogs to more state beaches and to feature greater numbers of fire rings and cookout areas on them, too.

Hilton is additionally seeking to cut down on red tape for block parties, food pop-ups, beer gardens, weddings, among other proposals. “OFF will be judged by how many pointless permits it eliminates, how much time and money it saves, and how many venues and events it helps open,” the policy document states.

This paean to fun follows Hilton’s ambitious proposal to attempt to spearhead a state film and television tax credit program that could offer incentives as high as 60 percent for some productions. He also proposed an uncapped film and tax credit, something that L.A. mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman have likewise supported. All of it would need the support of the California legislature, which took some convincing in 2025 to get to a $750 million tax credit championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, to move forward.

Hilton’s rival in the race, the former California attorney general and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, has not proposed uncapping the tax credit or targeting a specific percentage for incentives. Instead, he has called for the tax credit percentage to grow based on where Hollywood is losing work and promised to pursue data transparency from streamers for workers on their projects. So far, THR is not aware that he has publicized any plans to restore fun, but it will keep a look out.