Bill raising cost of alcohol fails to pass House committee

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill raising the markup on state-controlled alcohol sales and the tax on beer was rejected Friday by the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

The sponsor of HB136, Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Logan, said his intent was not to raise revenue for the state but to discourage overconsumption and underage drinking by making alcohol more expensive.

"It's behavior that costs you and me," Draxler said.

But members of the committee said despite supporting that goal, they could not endorse a tax increase and voted against passing the bill on to the full House.

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