Trade Group Wants Court To Bar Utah Legislators From Considering Mormon Views In Enacting Liquor Laws

Utah's Senate Bill 314, signed by the governor last March, imposes new limitations on liquor licenses and the sale of alcoholic beverages. Among other things, it eliminates discount pricing of alcoholic beverages offered by social clubs and links the issuance of liquor licenses to social clubs to both population quotas and the number of public safety officers employed by the State of Utah. As reported by Fox News last week, in June the Utah Hospitality Association filed a federal lawsuit challenging the new law on antitrust grounds. An amended complaint (full text) was filed on Oct. 27 in Utah Hospitality Assoc. v. Herbert, (D UT), now also seeking:

a declaration that the legislators of the State of Utah shall not consult with, or consider the opinions of, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when making alcohol policies during future legislative sessions [, and] ... a declaration that the legislators consultation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when making alcohol policies during the 2011 legislative session was unconstitutional.