Liquor commissioners got an earful Monday from Utahns at a public hearing, ranging from pleas to make alcohol laws more tourist-friendly to warnings that any changes could encourage more underage drinking.
The two-hour hearing, held at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control offices, attracted more than 75 people eager to offer their opinions about the state's liquor laws.
Although the state is currently looking at doing away with private club membership requirements, commissioners wanted to hear whether there are other issues that should also be considered.
Some did come up, including the so-called "Zion curtain," an often clear barrier that separates customers from alcohol in the bar areas of restaurants. Opponents of the barrier questioned why it was necessary; supporters said restaurants shouldn't look like bars.
There were also suggestions that restaurants be allowed to serve alcohol earlier than noon to weekend brunch customers, and that state liquor stores offer licensees discounted prices rather than making them pay the same as other customers.
But much of the discussion sounded similar to recent public hearings devoted to the private club issue. The department is currently drafting a proposal to eliminate private club fees and application forms.
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has said he hopes to get the measure passed by the 2009 Legislature as part of his ongoing effort to make the state's liquor laws less troubling to tourists.
Nathan Rafferty, head of Ski Utah, told commissioners that Utah doesn't attract as many skiers as Colorado, California and other states because "people are afraid of the perception of the liquor laws."
Rafferty said a reporter for a major newspaper who came to Utah to write about skiing focused his story instead on how difficult it was for him to get a drink because of the private club membership requirements.
And Bill Malone of the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, said tourists have a long list of questions about drinking in Utah, including why liquor stores aren't open late. "Most of the time we just shrug our shoulders and say, 'This is the way it is,"' he said.
Valerie Mills, president of Citizens for Families, though, asked the commission to "please keep in mind the rights and interests or those citizens who choose not to be involved with alcohol."
Mills said when she and her family of seven go skiing "it is rather terrifying to see those who have imbibed" on the slopes. "Many families come here for the wholesome environment," she said. "Hospitality can occur in many situations without alcohol."
Jeff Novak of the Coalition for Ethics and Accountability in Government said changing Utah's liquor laws "will have a trickle-down effect" that will end up encouraging underage drinking.
Novak said Utah should not let other states dictate "what normalcy is in Utah" when it comes to liquor regulation. "We don't need to be embarrassed," he said, noting the current laws view people as more important than profit.
The commission took no action. Commission Chairman Sam Granato thanked the crowd for their comments.
"You've certainly given us a plateful of things to digest," Granato said.
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