Proposed changes to Utah liquor laws drawing many voices

SALT LAKE CITY — Poised to make changes to Utah's liquor laws, state lawmakers have more than the usual voices to steer their decisions.

Democrats have brought business people into the discussion who they say often go unheard in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Meantime, advocates for public health and safety have started to speak up, creating a website called stopalcoholderegulation.org.

"They haven't come to the public health side of this. That's the concerning thing," said Pat Bird, prevention manager for the Utah County Department of Drug and Alcohol Prevention and Treatment. "We've got to have everybody at the table."

Talk of changing how to manage Utah's state-controlled alcohol industry came on the heels of scathing legislative audits last year. The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control was found to be rife with mismanagement and the former executive director is accused of a felony for doing business with a company his son owns. The head of the state Department of Commerce is temporarily running the agency.

Several lawmakers will propose bills to deal with issues raised in the audits, and legislative leaders expect the measures to emerge in a week or so.

Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, who often carries alcohol-related legislation, is working on a plan to restructure the agency, including how it's governed and to whom it reports. Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Provo, is looking at contracting out state-run stores, an idea some have loosely described as privatization.

Bird finds any form privatization or deregulation a bad idea.

"The private sector does not manage this well. This is a product that causes harm. It's not like milk or eggs," he said. "The private sector is sales-driven."

Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, on Friday said three principles shape his thinking about alcohol policy: Whether a change could result in more drunken driving; whether minors would be exposed to alcohol consumption; and whether it would contribute to overconsumption.

When reminded that Utah has the lowest drunken driving rates in the nation, Waddoups said, "It's great if you don't happen to be the one in the accident. If you’re the only one in the state, it's a tragedy. It's a tragedy to you."

Policy changes to accommodate adults' responsible use of a legal product are open to debate, he said.