This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
State Sen. Valentine recently admitted that he "made a mistake" regarding Utah's notorious "Zion Curtain" law by applying the restriction only to new restaurants rather than all, causing confusion in the marketplace among consumers. He expressed hope that lawmakers would address the law in a future legislative session.
Though we may disagree with Sen. Valentine on the spirit of his comments, we completely agree on the letter of his comments – that he made a mistake – by not repealing the onerous Zion Curtain law altogether.
Utah restaurants and bars should operate within a single standard of hospitality. New restaurants already face enormous challenges without having to build and work around a 7-foot wall (especially when veteran establishments are exempted). The Zion Curtain is an inhospitable, anti-competitive and anti-consumer burden not seen in any other state in America.
Like Sen. Valentine, we too hope lawmakers will take another look at Zion Curtains next session. However, rather than increase the burden on Utah businesses, consumers and tourists by adding more walls, we hope future lawmakers will see the absurdity and do away with them entirely.
Ben Jenkins
Distilled Spirits Council of the United States