Heads in the sand

Utah is the only state in the country that requires patrons to fill out an application and pay a fee to enter a bar that serves liquor. Newly-voiced concern over alcohol in restaurants comes as Governor Huntsman proposes to do away with the state law which requires joining private clubs, to get certain drinks out on the town. “It’s ridiculous,” while dining at a restaurant. “The liquor laws here, as an outsider, you don’t really know what to do, how to order, what applies, what doesn’t apply." But Huntsman, a Republican, has run into opposition from some legislative leaders in his own party who contend that the fee and paperwork associated with memberships discourage minors from illegally drinking and are partly responsible for Utah having the lowest DUI fatality rate in the country. "That's the part of the dialogue I need better explained to me. I'm very proud of our low DUI rates — that saves lives. It's hugely important. However, I have not heard a great explanation of how our private club laws lead to that low DUI rate and I definitely haven't heard an argument of why there shouldn't be conversation about improving our existing laws," said Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George. " The real advantage to the state's private club system is that the state can track where someone is drinking and how much they consumed." However, contrary to this statement, private clubs do not keep a log of who enters a bar each day, whether they had anything to drink or what guests they brought in. Club members must only sign a piece of paper once a year and there is no record beyond that. In theory, bar owners should be able to remember who was there each night and how much they had to drink because they are private social clubs and know their customers. "This is what they think happens because they don't frequent private clubs and really don't understand the day-to-day operations and how they relate to the statutes," said Lisa Marcy, a lawyer and spokeswoman for the bar industry's Utah Hospitality Association. Some clubs, which are all open to the public, have upward of 1,000 people who enter each night, many of whom pay with cash. Utah is unique in that about 60 percent of the state's residents are members of the Mormon church, which tells its members not to drink alcohol. Even more of the state's lawmakers — between 80 percent and 90 percent — are Mormon. Who generally hide their heads in the sand when it comes to the way the real world works. Many tourists complain about filling out applications with their birthdates on them because they're worried about identity theft. Others complain about having to fill out a form and pay a fee for every bar they go into. The Utah Hospitality Association forced the issue of eliminating private clubs last year by filing a petition to put the issue on the 2010 ballot. It agreed to put that effort on hold when Huntsman — said he would take the lead on the issue. Huntsman's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley, said the governor is open to advancing the association's proposal when the Legislature convenes Jan. 26. "I think that, certainly, using technological approaches to ensure that people are of age is something that the governor is interested in," she said. "The governor is certainly interested in looking at some of those offsetting compromises, like proper ID methods as well as looking at greater liability requirements. We have a long way to go, but he's hopeful there will be significant alcohol reform."