Readers may recall that when reformation of Utah's hyper-restrictive alcohol-beverage laws were debated last year, opponents, including State Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, warned residents that measures such as eliminating a bogus $5 "membership" fee would lead to big increases in alcohol consumption.
Well, the law eliminating "private clubs" passed, and guess what -- there's been no sharp increase in alcohol consumption and no increase in DUIs; even Sen. Waddoups acknowledges that.
We're not surprised at the news. We saw last year what all observers with common sense noted: Alcohol-sales laws less restrictive than Utah's work well in 49 other states, and it was always a definite yes that they'd work here as well.
In a comment to the Associated Press, David Morris, owner of the Piper Down pub in Salt Lake City said, "Since the private club has gone away, the world hasn't ended and all our children haven't turned into delinquents, but everything feels a little bit normal." Morris is right. It is normal for adults to enter a bar and not have to fill out an application and pay a fee to enjoy a drink.
In fact, the elimination of the membership fee has resulted in patrons enjoying more meals in restaurants. The elimination of a burdensome extra cost to enter makes a $6 or so burger or entree more palatable, as well as affordable.
And the changes have resulted in an increase in tourism. Scott Beck, president of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Associated Press that three major conventions were sold on coming to Utah after organizers learned that it was now easier to get a drink in the state.
Now that we've learned what a good idea it was to change some restrictive laws, Utah legislators should continue to do more to reform our state's alcoholic-beverages laws and make them more like other states.
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