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DrugScreening.org


 
Mormon Church Statement on Alcohol Buoys Utah Officials
September 18, 2008

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News Summary

A statement suggesting compromise on alcohol regulation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives some hope to Utah officials seeking a change in state liquor laws, the Deseret News reported Sept. 17.

The statement avoided specific references to Utah's unusual system of private club membership requirements for regulating alcohol, but stated that there is room for negotiating agreement on "laws and regulations that allow individual freedom of choice." The church added that it "has always called for reasonable regulations."

Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. has asked lawmakers to amend the regulations in an effort to increase state tourism. The governor's spokesman, Lisa Roskelley, said she was "encouraged by the willingness of all stakeholders to engage in this process."

"This is huge," added Lisa Marcy McGarry, legal counsel for the Utah Hospitality Association; she said that a statement from the Church was "what everyone was waiting for."

A Sept. 29 public hearing will give citizens the opportunity to address the legislature on the topic, with a draft proposal authored by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control expected to go before the 2009 Legislature.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by Been There on 19 Sep 08 06:55 PM EDT
Well stated, "Freedom from Whom?" But the courts ARE the place to hash these issues out- not the religious pulpit. And headway is being made. Please see: http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2008/states-call-for-millercoors.html. Granted the alcohol industry is a hugh machine with endless dollars to work with but ever since prohibition sent manufacturing and sale of alcohol to the lawless, many of whom kept control legally after its repeal, the only lasting impact against their tactics is through the courts. I guess Utah's Mormon controlled legislature has always bugged me because they're out front with their narrow moral control issues unlike the rest of our states (Alaska, for one) where the hard-right christian dominance gives somewhat of an appearance of separation.

Posted by Freedom for whom? on 19 Sep 08 02:21 PM EDT
As with most debates about civil liberties and drinking no one seems to question the right of self-interested businesses to determine public policy which is exactly what this and much of our current alcohol policies do. What's in the public's interest is usually a compromise between self interested groups and the politicians they support. Shouldn't the issue here be one of what works to protect the safety and health of Utah citizens - drinkers and abstainers alike? Why isn't the imposition of alcohol policies fostered by alcohol producers and sellers also seen as an infringement on individual civil liberties? When parents want to protect their children from alcohol advertising and promotion, their very basic rights are trumped in court by the free speech rights of business to advertise to children. The right to drink is enshrined in the minds of many - the right to be free of all the consequences of others' drinking always seems to be secondary. Whatever the merits of Utah's current policies, the sale and purchase of alcohol are already legal - every community has the right to determine the conditions under which this occurs.

Posted by dd on 19 Sep 08 01:21 PM EDT
Religious groups as stakeholders have as much right as anyone else to weigh in on alcohol regulation or any other issue. What they can't do, in our constitutional democracy, is to establish one religious position for everyone. What the Mormon church is doing here is expressing their position in a state where they are an important stakeholder. What could be more American than that?

Posted by Been There on 19 Sep 08 12:30 PM EDT
I'm not a big fan of public imbibing but I do believe in personal rights and freedom of choice. Where does the LDS church come off dictating civil liberties to the public? Anywhere there is influence on government from a the religious sector- a swift and strong "slap" must be given. Religious freedom does not equal religious interference or control. It's one of the main principles that separates us from becoming a religious extremist state like those of the middle east.

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