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SALT LAKE CITY -- A group that represents Utah bars and restaurants wants a judge to ban state legislators from considering input from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when they draft liquor laws. But others say that violates the right to free speech.
The Utah Hospitality Association claims that it's unconstitutional for the state to consider the views of the LDS church when making liquor laws. That claim is part of an amended lawsuit that was filed in U.S. District Court last week. The original lawsuit was filed in June.
The lawsuit targets SB314, which bans daily drink specials and ties the number of liquor licenses to population totals and the number of state-employed police officers.
Utah Hospitality Association board spokesman Ken Wynn says the LDS church voiced its opinion when the bill was being created, and that doing so influenced lawmakers.
"I don't deny them their right to get involved in it, but when they're so one-handed and so heavy handed and when they refuse to listen to anybody else - they won't even talk to us. They're getting one side from somebody, I don't even know who," he said.
A church spokesman declined comment about the lawsuit, but Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, did respond. He confirmed that the LDS church was one of the stakeholders when determining alcohol policy in the state, but he says so are a lot of other groups including the Restaurant Association and the Hotel Association.
"I'm surprised that anybody would go to the courts to prohibit another person from redressing their government, from being able to have free speech, to say ‘This is how we feel' about a particular issue," he said.
The Utah Hospitality Association hopes by filing the lawsuit to eventually do away with SB314.
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Written with contributions from Shara Park and Andrew Adams.
