It may not be too late for a later last call in St. Paul after all.

Following a scaled-back proposal in the Legislature and a push from Mayor Chris Coleman, several St. Paul City Council members Thursday said they're feeling less hostile to the idea of allowing bars to stay open until 4 a.m. during the Republican National Convention in September.

But don't order the extra kegs just yet.

"I think it's getting better," Council President Kathy Lantry said. "I still have a bunch of questions. ... Let's see what comes out of the Legislature first."

But some council members seemed on the verge of reversal Thursday.

"I agree that we don't want to be at a competitive disadvantage," said Council Member Russ Stark, referring to municipalities like Minneapolis, which approves of the idea of allowing bars to stay open later during the Sept. 1-4 convention at the Xcel Energy Center. "If we can recoup our costs and have it scaled back to four days, I'm not necessarily opposed to it."

Last week, Stark joined a majority of council members in passing a resolution opposing a similar state proposal that covered 11 days. The new proposal, which has not faced a floor vote in either legislative chamber, also would charge bars $2,500 to extend closing past 2 a.m., a move intended to help reimburse cities for the anticipated costs of increased policing.

Lantry said she's not sure that fee will cover the total public safety costs, including ambulance and possibly jail services.

The new proposal also allows municipalities to regulate which bars can be granted an extended-hours permit, though St. Paul officials have questioned how much discretion they can legally have in picking and choosing.

Wednesday evening, Coleman delivered a letter to the City Council urging members to reconsider their opposition in light of the new proposal at the Capitol. He said he was handing back the council's resolution without his signature, a symbolic move that carries no legal weight against the City Council, which sets the city's official policy.

Council Member Lee Helgen, who authored the resolution, also had softened his tone by Thursday.

"We accomplish quite a great deal in getting the Legislature to understand we want to regulate activities and recover our costs," he said. "This isn't an all-in or all-out kind of thing."

But Helgen, who has grappled with several North End bars amid crimes and complaints from neighbors, said his priority was to ensure his 5th Ward remained safe.

Council Member Dave Thune, whose 2nd Ward includes downtown, the West Seventh area and eastern Grand Avenue, said he remains opposed.

"I haven't changed my opinion: I think it's a terrible idea," Thune said. "The thing I want to gently remind my colleagues is they're not talking about bars in the neighborhoods, but right here on West Seventh and on Grand Avenue. This isn't just a downtown district like Minneapolis."