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The Utah Legislature passed a bill Friday overriding a Salt Lake City ordinance that required drive-thru restaurants and businesses to serve people on bicycles.
"This is a safety and private-property rights bill," said Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, the Senate sponsor of HB160. "We shouldn't be telling businesses how they should go through and operate their businesses."
City Councilman Luke Garrott, a candidate for mayor, believes the state shouldn't be dictating policy to local government.
"It's never a happy day for the city when our authority is overturned [by the Legislature]," said Garrott.
Further, Garrott noted that the arguments on Capitol Hill against the city's drive-thru ordinance were less than accurate. "The liability and cost issues were exaggerated," he said.
Last September, the Salt Lake City Council passed an ordinance requiring businesses — mainly restaurants — that have drive-thrus to serve cyclists. Restaurants objected, saying serving people not in cars presented a safety risk.
The Legislature sided with the restaurants and a bill overriding the Salt Lake City ordinance breezed through the Legislature, winning final passage on a 20-6 vote Friday in the Senate, moving to Gov. Gary Herbert's desk.
Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, said the Legislature shouldn't be telling cities what to do.
"I think this is just one of those issues that should be left up to the city councils that have special places in their heart [for cyclists]," Dabakis said. "We ought not be dictating here from the Capitol and we ought to leave the local folk to do it."
— Christopher Smart contributed to this report.