Utah lawmakers conjure new and stricter liquor laws while drunk driving continues unabated.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: Driving Drunk
So Utah, how's the draconian DUI limit working for you? A blood alcohol content (BAC) limit of 0.05% was supposed to scare everyone straight and keep people from drinking and driving. Pause now to laugh hysterically. It's not just that the law makes no difference, but rather that lawmakers seem to think they can pray away the drunks. This past week saw the arrest of a 61-year-old man who killed a 41-year-old pedestrian. The driver had 114 prior arrests, 53 convictions and a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit. Legislators have pushed millions into banal commercials attempting to keep kids from underage drinking, and they continue to talk about tougher DUI laws. There's one to make restaurants and bars more accountable, another to make drunk drivers pay for child support, and on and on. The public thinks it doesn't matter. Utah clocks 12,000 DUI arrests each year—that's 1,000 each month. "This case underscores the importance of a justice system that can address repeat offenders in a way that protects the community and promotes accountability," Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told KSL News.
Miss: Unbe-Lee-vable
Utahns can't help themselves in their admiration of Sen. Mike Lee, arguably one of the weirdest, most ideological senators. This is the man who once despised Donald Trump, only to later hail him as a reincarnation of Captain Moroni. The Salt Lake Tribune attempted to illuminate "plans" from our all-Republican congressional delegation, starting with Lee, who has "spread misinformation to encourage the passage of his SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote." Non-citizens are not exactly voting in droves. The 30 suspected cases in 2016 amounted to 0.0001% of votes cast. You'll need your birth certificate to prove your identity and—because America has hopes for white supremacy—Lee also wants to eliminate a database of racial disparities in affordable housing. One of his latest hits purports to define pornography, a longtime GOP issue. While he is often called an effective senator, since 2011, he's introduced 500 bills. Six have passed.
Hit: Grand Old Flags
There is nothing more entertaining than punking the Legislature. Kudos to Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall for giving an official middle finger to the self-righteous culture warriors we call lawmakers. Republican sponsors Rep. Trevor Lee and Sen. Dan McCay attempted to make their flag ban "neutral," but it was obviously aimed at the LGBTQ community. No, Utah does not want anyone indoctrinating the public with the sight of flags in classrooms or on public buildings. So Mendenhall added an SLC sego lily to all offending flags. The comments on Lee's Twitter feed were remarkable. McCay "joked" that Mendenhall should fly a flag with the Latter-day Saint church's logo. Others were less than kind, calling for Mendenhall's ouster and condemning her actions.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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