Liquor board to governor: Veto Utah alcohol reforms

The state liquor-control board rebuked the Legislature on two fronts Thursday, criticizing efforts to close profitable liquor stores and, in a unanimous vote, asking Gov. Gary Herbert to veto alcohol-reform legislation they say could spawn abuses.

SB314, sponsored by Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, would allow existing liquor licenses to be sold to the highest bidder; the commission chairman to be appointed annually by the governor; and the commission to engage in closed meetings.

Sam Granato, chairman of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, has repeatedly said meetings will remain open under his leadership. His term ends in June, and it’s widely believed he won’t be reappointed.

Commissioner Gordon Strachan said at the panel’s crowded meeting Thursday that allowing the governor to appoint the chairman, instead of continuing the practice of being elected by the board, would be fraught with the potential for abuse and corruption. The appointment would also be subject to Senate approval, allowing for even more political pressure. Strachan, whose term also ends in June, said "politics and liquor don’t mix."

The governor’s spokeswoman, Ally Isom, said Herbert wouldn’t make a public statement on SB314 "until he takes action on the bill."

The commission’s stunning 4-0 vote (with one member absent) was the first such appeal to a governor in memory. It was cast by two board members appointed by then-Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., known for his attempts to liberalize state liquor laws in the name of economic development, and two named by his successor, Herbert, who has been quiet on the issue.

Herbert’s commission appointees, Kathleen Collinwood and Richard Sperry, said their concerns outweighed their initial reluctance in asking for the veto.

The sticking point for Sperry in Valentine’s bill is allowing owners of restaurants and bars to sell liquor licenses to the highest bidder.