This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This is what it means to have a bad reputation, as Utah does in the rest of the nation when it comes to liquor laws.
The wire service Reuters reported Friday that Connecticut has loosened its "blue law," allowing sales of beer, wine and spirits on Sundays. (The state estimated it was losing $5.2 million a year from consumers driving to Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York to buy booze on Sunday.)
The article ended with this sideswipe at Utah:
"Now, back to the more pressing question — which state doesn't permit off-premises Sunday alcohol sales? Surprisingly, it's Indiana. Despite Utah's strict liquor laws, consumers can buy 3.2% beer from grocery and convenience stores on Sunday."
This is what decades of legislative fiddling (and LDS influence) have given Utah: The national perception, accurate or not, that you can't buy a drink here. Live with it, Utah.