Banning minors from restaurant bar areas offered as compromise
The governor told the Deseret News he's trying to make the state's liquor laws "more American and less Middle Eastern" to help boost economic development, especially in the tourist industry.
"This is more of a fig leaf," Huntsman said, "which results in a significant perception problem that manifests itself in travel, tourism, business development and the state's image."
He said he'll continue to push to get rid of the applications and fees required to drink in a private club, Utah's equivalent of a bar, despite opposition from the Senate's majority Republicans.
And Huntsman said he sees no need to require restaurants to hide drink preparations to protect minors, as proposed by Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville. But the governor said he would support banning minors from the bar areas of restaurants.
"I think that's actually a reasonable compromise which would be what most every other state in America does," Huntsman said. "You don't need to wall off, or compartmentalize the display of alcohol."
Moving minors out of the bar areas of restaurants where Utah law requires drinkers to eat or be waiting for a table would eliminate the need for so-called "Zion curtains," barriers often made of glass intended to separate the display and dispensing of drinks from service.
The idea of a ban surfaced Wednesday at a legislative committee hearing on Waddoups' concerns about what minors are being exposed to in restaurants that dispense alcohol in the open. The Senate leader endorsed the ban and said he expects to see legislation enacting it in the upcoming session.
The ban was proposed by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which has supported Huntsman's reform efforts. The governor stopped short of saying it was the key to selling lawmakers on his private club proposal, but it appears to be part of his strategy.
"For private clubs, there will have to be two or three trade-offs. I accept that," Huntsman said. Those include, he said, agreeing to replace application forms with swiping driver's licenses or other identification, increase the liability of private clubs that serve drunken drivers and "something settling the (restaurant) bar issue like dealing with minors."
Waddoups may be willing to listen. He said Wednesday that even though the Senate's GOP caucus is opposed to changing the private club requirements, he was interested in seeing if there was a way to do away with what he called "needless hoops to jump through" for customers.
The governor said he believes most Utahns support the changes he wants made in the state's liquor laws. "This is a very pragmatic state," Huntsman said. "Let me put it this way I haven't run into a lot of people around the state who have said, 'Quit working on this issue.' In fact, it's been just the opposite."
E-mail: lisa@desnews.com
Recent comments
Huntsman is really on to something here. What a great plan.
By...
BH | Jan. 9, 2009 at 3:49 p.m.
Would Waddoups be anti-gun if his wife had been shot instead of hit...
Johny Fairplay | Jan. 9, 2009 at 2:48 p.m.
When are the LDS Republicans of this state going to figure it...
Anonymous | Jan. 9, 2009 at 2:01 p.m.
- Millions will have to repay tax credit 8:16 a.m.
- Rockets at market target general 8:11 a.m.
- Iraq committee disbands soccer assn 8:05 a.m.
- Watson gets British Open exemption 7:59 a.m.
- Carter defends handling of Iran crisis 7:53 a.m.
- 13 bodies found west of Baghdad 7:49 a.m.
- Afghan gov't: anti-corruption squad 7:46 a.m.
- Edward Woodward dies at 79 7:40 a.m.
- Obama: Uncensored society healthy 7:34 a.m.
- NASA fuels space shuttle for liftoff 7:29 a.m.
- BYU happy to escape with victory
231 - TCU creams U.
225 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
207 - Will state consider gay rights law?
149 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
131 - RSL heads to MLS title game
126 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - Celtics crush Jazz
104 - TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
102 - 3A: Hurricane advances to title game
89
Sears is holding a special VIP night Sunday, Nov. 15, in stores and online.
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
All of that said, the idea that it was necessary for Joseph to understand...
and Hurricane played a great game - let's give them some credit.
What other professional teams out there are greeted by their fans on their...
Not a rebuilding year? Come on Cougar fan, facts are facts. 60% of the Utah...
Don't be bitter! Someday your cougars may get to play in a BCS game and...
The Jazz need to clean house and rebuild, starting with the coach.
I was thinking the exact same thing. But hey... this isn't the first time has...
Please give us your sources of information from which you've derived your...
Whenever a writer refers to Obama by saying he "nudged" this or that... it...
To those that say we need this solution, take a look at the countries that...
