Utah Senate Bill 187 passed out of committee today. So what?

Well, this means that restaurants with bars will have to erect a 10 ft. wall to separate the two. Not only that, it will be illegal to merely look like you’re drunk, because appearances are evidently more important than fact, defying a previous ruling by the Utah Supreme Court that simply appearing to be drunk is not a crime. Hopefully none of you have an inner ear problem.

Responding to the news, one frustrated Utahn exclaims, “Illegal to look drunk? As soon as the law is passed the entire legislature will have to arrest itself!”

Another reacted by saying, “It’s things like this that embarrass the heck out of me for being a Mormon. I’m LDS, I don’t drink and my kids don’t drink. The reason they don’t drink? Because we have open discussions in our home about the choices we make.”

Other gems from this legislation include:

• An alcoholic beverage may not be sold, served, or otherwise furnished to a “known habitual drunkard.”
• An alcoholic beverage may not be sold at a special or reduced price for only certain hours of the resort amenity’s business day such as a “happy hour.”
• An indefinite or unlimited number of alcoholic beverages may not be sold or served during a set period for a fixed price.

All of this makes you wonder if major restaurant chains and event planners should just call it quits and move out of Utah. There’s still hope though, the bill has not yet become law.