You can never really predict the absolute idiocy that exists in the mind
of Sen John Valentine. This guy is dangerous, he is so far removed from
reality and wields so much power that he is one of the most dangerous & delusional people writing our laws.John Valentine heads the powerful Business and Labor Committee & is the author of most of Utah's liquor legislation, The Zion Curtain or "Beer Burka" as we like to call it; that's him, that his brilliant idea.
Now Sen. Valentine has a new piece of legislation that he's inserted into SB261. This new proposed law states that, any person in a restaurant cannot stand while drinking an alcoholic beverage. You must be seated! I don't have to tell you that this guy holds enough influence to make this crap reality. Please, please, please contact your Representative & Senator and shut this thing down!
Here's the bill it's located on line 1539.
In better news Desert Edge's Powder Keg Bourbon Porter is on right now, it disappears in days so you'd better get on it before it's gone.
Cheers!
28 comments:
any resources on who to contact or how to find them?
As a longtime (licensed) server of alcohol in Utah, I was under the impression this was already the case. In a restaurant, at least.
Here's how to find your rep. Google is magic.
http://www.le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp
Emails sent. I am getting very frustrated trying to drink a simple beer over here.
Cheers!
This appears to be a requirement only for food serving establishments. The rule occurs in 3 places.
Line 1540 - requirements for a full-service restaurant license
Line 1704 requirements for a limited-service restaurant
Line 1846 requirements for a beer-only restaurant license.
The crazy part is that how we drink is being limited by the license an establishment has. Not only will the DBAC be monitoring how the licensee operates, the DBAC will be policing the patrons.
This could be an employment opportunity. I'm applying for a job at Barbacoa as a bouncer.
There is another crazy item
Line 2118 requirements for an event permit - "A patron may have no more than one alcoholic product of any kind at a time." Does this mean that you cant hold your buddy's drink at a concert while he ties his shoe or takes a piss?
Jerry's point is worth noting. Also, see § 32B-5-304, which brings measured cocktails back to a 1.5 oz "hard cap" of alcoholic ingredients AND prohibits bars from selling "heavy beers" over 12 ounces to patrons. Good-bye Epic and Uinta Crooked beer at any bar or restaurant, which probably means good-bye Epic, period.
You shouldn't use the word "Retard," as using it with him as a representation is degrading to those who have mental disabilities. I mean this guy needs a new word for whatever he is. Or, perhaps Jihadist?
Mike, How do you find these details lost in the legalese of a bill? I thank you for all (ammunition, information, warnings) that you provide us with.
What short term goal should we work toward to make Utah more beer friendly? If we keep fighting these little skirmishes defensively with Valentine and the likes, we may end up getting burned out and frustrated. If there were some goal the we responsible beer drinkers could go on the offense with that might be more productive. Any thoughts?
The two main things that I would like to see done away with are 1) raise the draft ABV limit to something much more reasonable. 2)Wholesale purchase of beer by restaurants. As is it now, I almost always refuse beers at restaurants and bars, too expensive.
@James, is the heavy beer over 12 oz a proposal?
Cheers!
Update:
@James: as read that code, the limit on heavy beer is 1 liter, Epic and Uinta are well under that level.
I think that the way to really impact things is to play the game. Form a lobbying group and do two things. First, inform. The lack of critical information and knowledge on Capital Hill is obvious. Playing a role in explaining why and what laws consumers want is important. Second, old fashioned lobbying for laws we want. Don't think this is impossible. Free the Hops made an impact on Alabama and listened to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZoTJzh13n8
I believe the part that James is referring to talks about the Amount of beer for samplers not for the container sizes i.e. the bottle size.
Douglas is right, the beer industry in Utah needs it's own lobbyist. Currently all lobbying for the beer industry is done through the hospitality Association. All Brewers, vintners and distillers need a Separate lobbyist. There is a Brewers Guild in Utah but it's the little too fragmented right now it needs More cohesion to do any good.
Yes, the brewers have entrenched self-interests that don't always fall in-line with consumer interests and they are fragmented. We have an enormous amount of general interest in beer in SLC and the state generally, but it is remarkable that this group has almost no direct capacity for getting what it wants. I am certain that this can be done. And also that it can achieve policy success/wins. Even small ones matter.
Did Valentine make the Sippy Cup Law too?
http://utahhoneypot.com/2013/02/26/law-requiring-utahans-to-drink-alcohol-through-sippy-cups-amended/
If that nonsense passes, I hope businesses install long rows of no table, bench seating. What a ridiculously stupid law!
Regardless of whether this is limited to restaurants or not, it is an oppressive measure.
Let's file a First Amendment law suit claiming that our form of expression is standing while drinking. How can we gesticulate effectively enough to convey our opinions if not allowed any position, whether it be standing, seated, or prone, from which to speak said opinions while drinking an alcoholic beverage?
Seemingly a silly claim, but expression comes in boundless forms.
TL;DR- This is oppressive. Let's sue.
I called out Valentine on this idiocy on Twitter:
"If any beer lovin' adult wants to be treat like a child: @Sen_JValentine has gone full-blown Utahrd on us now. (link to this blog)"
And he actually responded:
"@Camera_Monkey Clarifying some misconceptions. I already amended #SB261-you don not have to be seated to enjoy a drink. #utpol #utleg"
Huh. Take it for what you think it's worth. Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. Either way, there's SO much more that needs to change; most importantly he should NOT be writing any laws regarding alcohol. Period.
Thanks for all of your comments and input. Things will never change without all of our participation. It's not over yet. Cheers to you all!
Time to host a beer rally on the Capitol steps?
It would be much easier to hold a Sith-Zombie assault rifle rally than I beer rally, me thinks.
"Fighting little skirmishes" with people you don't agree with is part of the legislative process. There are all kinds of proposals made being made by individual legislators... most of which aren't going to go anywhere. It can be frustrating to hear about some of the baseless "ideas" of ridiculous fringe reps. But very little of that stuff will get any majority support--although some thoughtless things do slip through the cracks, i.e. the "Zion Curtain". So it's really important to stay in contact with your reps (and bug thanks to Mikey and the rest of you for keeping track of things). And I'm sure, at the end of this session, we'll have some new laws we're not happy about. But until then: might as wait for the dust to settle before going in to full panic mode.
I suppose what I meant by little skirmishes is that I would prefer to bring the argument to Valentine on our terms. These little insults he keep tossing our way in legislature may be just to keep us off guard. Any loss of drinking freedoms is bad, and they sure do frustrate (Ask UBC about the chubbies). Who knows I could be all wrong.
A fight is rarely won defensively, and I do not see any offense on the casual drinkers side. I don't think that calling names or suing is the right strategy either. I like the idea of a re-organized lobbying group. I have no idea how such a group is started. It feels good to vent on this and other boards, but in the end, I am not sure how much is accomplished this way. All I think that can be done this time of year is reactive. Call and email representatives when something horrible pops up. But to see positive change we need to email the representatives all during the year. Ask for sensible changes where prudent. A group to direct our focus could yield amazing results, Mike. All the emails focused on one topic to Valentine and his bunch.
Maybe I am still too young and idealistic. :)
In response to KAGent777
"...1) raise the draft ABV limit to something much more reasonable."
While it would be desirable for consumers to drink higher alcohol beer on draft, certain Utah microbrewers actually lobby against such amendments. Just think of the threat to the sales of the two main sources of Utah draft beer if they had to compete directly with Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, etc.
Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows.
@Braumonkey: I suspected that some of the local breweries might not want the 4.0 ABV limit raised. While most of these recipes are quite tasty, I rarely choose them (the notable exception is Bohemian). I simply prefer stronger beer most times.
Is there a source somewhere that illustrates this? Until I see a source, I am only going to continue to suspect.
If the consumers kept demanding the brewers bigger beers, the sales of 4.0 might be depressed. Unfortunately, the bigger beers are hidden away in a DABC store or the brewery itself. Such as life in Utah.
Cheers,
Scott
I totally agree that some breweries may want to keep the ABV limit.
This why consumers need a group! Look at the current fight over SB 248, with apparently breweries divided.
http://le.utah.gov/~2013/htmdoc/sbillhtm/SB0248.htm
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55930228-90/bill-alcoholic-beer-gallons.html.csp
An explanation
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