Laura Oggeri, a spokeswoman for Walsh, said the mayor “looks forward to working with the Legislature next year on reforming liquor license laws.”

Because a bill aimed at “modernizing municipal government” does not touch the subject, the Legislature will continue to control the liquor license caps within communities — despite pleas from Walsh and 12 city councilors. The House and Senate will vote on the legislation on Sunday.

The Legislature on Saturday thwarted Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s effort to win authority for the city of Boston to grant additional liquor licenses to local businesses , after lawmakers came to an agreement that allows Beacon Hill to maintain control over liquor license limits.


Governor Charlie Baker’s original version of the legislation, aimed at giving more local control to municipalities, would have transferred authority over setting quotas for local liquor licenses from the Legislature to all communities — except Boston.

A Senate version of the bill added Boston to that list. But the House version sidestepped the issue altogether, as did the compromise reached on Saturday.

Walsh and other supporters have argued that the century-old practice of letting state lawmakers control the limits on liquor licenses hurts economic development — particularly in low-income and minority neighborhoods that have fewer licenses.

But opponents of the move, such as Representative Michael J. Moran of Brighton, have said that Beacon Hill should keep control because it gives neighborhoods a voice through their elected officials in the Legislature.

Lawmakers who hammered out an agreement on the bill said the legislation still promotes local autonomy for cities and towns in several ways, including the streamlining of local tax collection processes.

The agreement came amid negotiations over several other controversial bills, as the clocks runs out on the formal two-year legislative session.

Lawmakers on Saturday night were still at work on a long-awaited bill that would regulate companies such as Uber and Lyft, as well as bills dealing with energy, economic development, and non-compete agreements between employers and employees.


Nicole Dungca can be reached at nicole.dungca@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @ndungca.