LDS Church officials, GOP leaders discuss upcoming legislative session

By Lisa Riley Roche

Deseret News

LDS Church officials expressed interest in electronic ID verification at the state's private clubs Wednesday during a luncheon meeting with GOP legislative leaders, Senate President Michael Waddoups said.

But Waddoups said members of the church's Public Affairs Committee did not weigh in on Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s proposal to eliminate private club memberships — or on any other issue facing lawmakers in the upcoming session that begins Monday.

LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said in a statement, "As has been the practice for many years, the Church met with Republican legislative leadership in an annual luncheon as one of its many constituents. A luncheon with Democratic leadership was held earlier this month.

"The issue of alcohol regulation was briefly discussed. However, private clubs were not. The Church took no position on any legislation but expressed its long-standing concerns about limiting over-consumption, reducing impaired driving, and eliminating underage drinking."

Huntsman has raised the possibility of mandating electronic ID verification systems at private clubs as a way to help sell his proposal, along with increasing liability for drunk driving accidents and banning underage drinkers from the bar areas of restaurants.

At the meeting, Waddoups said a member of the church committee, Bill Evans, "indicated liquor is a moral issue in many instances and they're in favor of electronic verification. They like that idea."

Waddoups said the church officials did not endorse electronic verification but did encourage him to continue to pursue the idea because it was worth gathering more information.

House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton, said the church officials "actually made it very clear they're still looking at it. They said they're always concerned about underage drinking and felt it might be effective."

Waddoups said it "would be really presumptuous of me" to assume the interest meant the church was moving toward a compromise. "You can interpret this as well as I can," he said. "They were paying attention to the issue."

The LDS Church, which counsels its members to avoid alcohol, issued a statement last fall that said the church believes that Utahns can come together "to support laws and regulations that allow individual freedom of choice while preserving Utah's proven positive health and safety record on limiting the tragic consequences of overconsumption of alcohol."

The statement also reiterated the church's long-standing concern with overconsumption, drunken driving and underage drinking. Waddoups said those same concerns were raised at Wednesday's meeting.