A bill that aims to decrease illegal consumption of alcohol in Utah without crippling the state's hospitality industry advanced Friday, Feb. 21, one step closer to passing the Senate.

Senate Bill 153, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Whip John Valentine, R-Orem, received unanimous approval from the Senate after being substituted and then amended.

"There is a mirage sometimes that Utah has the most restrictive liquor laws in the United States," said Senate Minority Whip Ron Allen, D-Stansbury Park, the bill's second sponsor. "That is really not the case."

The bill makes several changes to the Alcohol Beverage Title to both toughen liquor laws and accommodate the industry.

To decrease over-consumption of alcohol, a drink's alcohol content would be limited to 2.75 ounces.

Restaurants would be required to stay open one hour after the bar closes so that patrons can sober up before leaving. During that hour, patrons would only be allowed to drink one serving of alcohol.

S.B. 153 would make special events permits easier to obtain, create a new license for restaurants serving only beer and wine and permit patrons to take home wine they did not consume.

Penalties for serving alcohol to minors and intoxicated individuals would also be increased under the bill.

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would receive approximately $1.3 million from the Liquor Control Fund.

The bill increases the number of reasons minors would be allowed in bars.

"I don't want minors in bars, but I am willing to make some concessions," Valentine said.

Under the bill, minors would be allowed in bars if they were an employee of a bar owned by their parents, if the they were in the food serving area or were hired to do cleaning and maintenance after hours.

An amendment was adopted to accommodate small Utah wineries by increasing licensing fees by $200 instead of $1,500.

Valentine and Allen were approached by industry representatives who said liquor laws needed to be updated.

"Our fees structure was woefully below the averages for the Western states," Valentine said.

The last time the Legislature reviewed the fees for licensing was in 1984.

The senators gathered public input from the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, the alcohol industry and other interested parties, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When asked if the LDS Church wielded a great influenced over the negotiations, Hales said, "I think that would be a gross exaggeration. Everyone who had ever expressed an interest was invited."

The majority of input came from law enforcement and alcohol industry, he said.

Critics of the bill said it favored large businesses over small clubs because of the flat fee, although Allen and Valentine wrote the bill to create a graduated fee structure.

Small clubs would be paying approximately $20 more per month and large clubs approximately $40 more per month in licensing fees.

"There is a lot of the criticism of the bill that has nothing to do with any of the changes that we are making," Hales said.

Valentine said amendments would be presented Monday to refine the fee schedule.

A clause to coordinate the bill with another alcoholic beverage control bill sponsored by Sen. Michael Waddoups, R-West Jordan, will also be introduced.

The discussion in the Senate focused on clarifying the changes made by the 278-page bill.

"Congrats for putting together what really appears to be a very comprehensive look at our alcohol laws in this state," said Sen. John Hickman, R-St.George. "Unfortunately, I haven't had an opportunity to look at the bill. It is voluminous."



Copyright Brigham Young University 24 Feb 2003