Restaurant liquor license bill passes Utah House

SALT LAKE CITY — The House passed a bill Monday that would free up more liquor licenses for restaurants.

HB42, sponsored by Rep. Gage Froerer, R-Huntsville, would allow unused beer-only tavern licenses to be used as restaurant licenses under the state-controlled quota system.

"We have a continued and constant demand," Froerer said, for the limited and full-service restaurant licenses issued by the state. Licensed restaurants, he said, generate jobs and sales-tax revenues for the state.

For some time, the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has faced more qualified applicants than there are licenses available.

There has been talk of eliminating the population-based quota system used to set the number of licenses available, but the idea does not have enough political support.

"This is not a long-term fix," Froerer said. "But it's a critical Band-Aid we need right now."

His bill, which passed 67-3, now goes to the Senate. Froerer noted another bill addressing the licensing shortage is expected from the Senate.

That bill, SB314, sponsored by Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, is still being drafted. Valentine has been working for some time on the bill with various stakeholders, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Utah Restaurant Association.

e-mail: lisa@desnews.com