The Zion Curtain Bill Revealed to be a Dissaster

Only in Utah can you take a shitty law that 70% of the people hate and find a way to make it even worse. That's happened to the newly unveiled Zion Curtain bill. After being revealed yesterday, the specifics of HB442, a bill that was supposed to bring sanity back to the restaurant industry was revealed to have an insane amount of modifications that turned the bill into a massive steaming pile of shit. Included in this petty and spiteful piece of legislation is:

• A restructuring of the licenses for restaurants and bars, further separating the two.
• Shrinking the distance restaurants that serve liquor must be from community locations like churches and schools.
• Mandatory ID checks for anyone who sits in a "dispensary area" where alcohol is poured.
• No more than two drinks before a patron at a time.
• Beer labels must comply to a state standard, including making sure there is no confusion between a malted beverage and a soda pop.
• Creates a pair of anti-underage drinking programs in eighth and 10th grades.
• More training for waiters, bartenders and restaurants.
• The Utah Department of Public Safety will do more to track sales to underage people.
• "Booze carts" are forbidden.
• Beer in grocery and convenience stores will be limited in where it can be displayed (to one or two areas).
• A hike of 2% in the cost of liquor.

 Some of the major sticking point with those in the restaurant industry would be the newly conceived "Zion Zone" that would that would protrude 20 plus feet away from the restaurant's bar, compromising the size of the main dining area. The other bullshit is that "restructuring of the licenses" that would dismantle the gray area's that separate bars and restaurants. This would force places like Red Rock and Squatters to choose between their liquor licences and their customer's children.

As it stands, this bullshit compromise is no compromise. It's a reminder to you normal adults that those (Latter Day Saints) in the legislature are still in charge and you are nothing more than a guest in your own home. Don't let this pass as it's currently written - it could still change. Please keep your eyes on this closely and act appropriately.

If that not enough to send you over the edge, we must also work to defeat HB155 the 0.05 BAC bill, which is of great concern as it would make criminals out of responsible restaurant patrons who enjoy an alcoholic beverage with their meal, negatively impact the restaurant industry and image of our state. Please help out in smashing HB155. This bill has already passed the house and is will be up for committee in the Senate. THESE BILLS CURRENTLY THREATENS TO PASS INTO LEGISLATION! We need to focus our attention on the senate NOW. Please click this link: https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp to find out who your Senator is and contact them today! Stay united, finish this year strong and we will have an unprecedented 2017 session. For more information please see the talking points below.

Final Call on the Zion Curtain

It looks like our old nemesis the Zion Curtain or as we like to say around here, the "Beer Burka" will likely be going the way of private clubs in 2017.  The bill, being proposed by Republican leaders in the House and Senate, would finally remove the architectural eyesores that prevent you and your impressionable children from seeing tantalizing drinks being made in Utah restaurants.

Now, before you get too excited - take into consideration that this is still Utah and that the "Utah Shuffle" (one step forward, two steps back) is still in effect. In order to get rid of this mistake that never should have been conceived of, we will have to entertain the following compromises.

•Increase training for servers in restaurants to prevent underage drinking, over-consumption and DUIs.
•Prohibit minors from being seated in an area around the bar.
•"Intent to dine," where customers must verbally state an intent to order food before being served alcohol would remain
•Maintain a requirement that at least 70 percent of a restaurant's sales be in food
•Liquor costs would go up. Right now, alcohol is sold at state-run stores at cost, plus an 86% markup. It will likely go up by one or two points.

Lawmakers claim that will generate some revenue to the state that will be used to pay for additional training. In my opinion more money could be generated by keeping the same 86% markup if the state decided to run the DABC as a legitimate business and not a anti-relgious burden imposed by Satan.

Of course, no legislation can become law without first being approved by Utah's true leaders on North Temple. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has repeatedly said it believes Utah liquor laws are fine how they are. However, they're comfortable with making these changes and the modernizing our liquor laws.

The Utah Restaurant Association said, "the devil is in the details" and it wants to see the bill, but believed the restaurant industry could comply with the terms of the deal. In an interview with Fox13 News - Melva Sine, the president of the Utah Restaurant Association said, "Based on we learned today in the overall aspect, those are things the industry can do,"

The bill is expected to be filed in the Utah State Legislature next week. Keep checking back for updates this and other alcohol related issue on Utah's Capitol during the Legislative session.

Cheers!

Source: Fox13 News
Image courtesy: Salt Lake Tribune

The Zion Curtain Part 6

I mean for Christ's sake, look at that thing up there! It shouldn't be this hard to get rid of a simple regulatory nightmare that the majority of Utahans don't want. But here we are, years later - still talking about this massive, international embarrassment, the Zion Curtain.

Many have tried, all have failed. Even it's creator, former State Senator, John Valentine actually said at one point on Radio from Hell that, "he didn't really like it". Maybe it's 6th time in front of public opinion's firing squad will put it out of it's misery.

The man who has stepped up to lance this boil on the state's ass is Republican Senator, Kraig Powell of Heber City. He quietly filed HB339 yesterday. Buried in the bill are lines that appear to tear down “separate preparation areas,” as they are officially known. Instead, restaurants will be required to post a sign notifying the public that they serve alcohol, as well as create a bar or lounge area that prohibits minors.

Hmm, imagine that. A way to shield a sheltered child's fragile psyche from the mind bending images of liquids being dispensed into a container before they've even entered the establishment. It's nothing short of astonishing! I'm in awe that an alcohol eschewing family would even dare try to spend their wholesomely earned shekels in such an "anti-family values" establishment. This could save people a lot of time, while earning a shload of celestial kingdom points.  

Will common sense win out over an uneducated and uniformed minority? Who knows. It all depends on if Utah's real lawmakers on Temple Square give it their blessing.

We've all spent too much time on this mess. Please hammer your representatives and senators today. Tell them to "tear down this wall"!

Cheers!