SALT LAKE CITY — A measure that would have taken down the state's "Zion curtain" died Tuesday in the state Senate.

The proposal, which would have removed the barriers that separate restaurant patrons from alcohol being poured and mixed by servers, was replaced by a vote of 24–2 with other minor liquor regulations.

The new version of the bill would create a master liquor license for chain restaurants, freeing up liquor licenses for restaurant owners. Chain restaurants are currently required to obtain a separate liquor license for every restaurant location.

The original version of bill passed the Utah House of Representatives with a 63–11 vote. The revised bill will be sent back to the House for consideration.

The barriers, called "Zion curtains," have been required in restaurants since 2009, when the legislature approved a measure that toughened the state's DUI laws in exchange for eliminating a requirement that Utah's clubs operate as private social clubs with a door charge.

Deseret News:

'Zion curtain' will continue to stand in Utah restaurants for now

The so-called "Zion curtain" that shields diners from liquor displays and alcohol dispensing in Utah restaurants won't be coming down anytime soon.

A version of the barriers currently in place first went up in the 1960s in social clubs that served alcohol. At the time, they took the form of glass walls separating servers from customers.

Some opponents of today's Zion curtains say the requirement wastes money and space, forcing restaurants to adopt unnecessary configurations to keep bartenders out of sight. Other say the law is harmful to the state's tourism industry, which sees $7 billion a year in spending.

Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden, who sponsored the bill to remove the barriers, said the patchwork nature of Utah's liquor laws makes it difficult for state officials to enforce and is unfair to new restaurant owners.

Proponents of Zion curtains say the barriers help prevent a "culture of drinking" in Utah.

Related topics