Utah liquor laws strike again at west side's Forty Three Bakery
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Pour One Out
Religion is in the news this week and not just because of the Easter season. Here in Utah, it's the juxtaposition of religion and liquor in the law. A sweet little Forty Three Bakery in Poplar Grove won't be getting a liquor license anytime soon. Utah has an antiquated proximity law requiring anything with liquor to be 200 or 300 feet (depending on how you measure) from churches, schools and other community locations. The jury's out on how the Legislature came up with the measurements, but there they are. Owner Andrew Corrao told The Salt Lake Tribune that he'd planned to create a welcoming neighborhood dining spot to bring customers to the west side. These liquor laws caused the demise of longtime favorite Cinegrill in 2016 after it had the misfortune of locating next to a place of worship—you know, that held services on Sundays. There are no exceptions to the draconian rule—even if a school or church signs off. There must be something to the lure of liquor within 200 feet.
True Believers
Good God, the Legislature is dancing around the practice of religion as if it's somehow being challenged. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 has been a bouncing ball of legislation and constitutionality, focused on such fun things as peyote and what the owners of Hobby Lobby can do. It comes with a balancing act that requires laws to serve a compelling state interest to avoid being undermined by religious exemptions. But that's not the whole story. The governor has signed a just-in-case law that would extend RFRA to state and local communities. Everybody seems on board—not the least of whom is former Sen. Steve Urquhart, whose spiritual journey has taken him to the psychedelic Divine Assembly and its mushroom sacrament. "This gives robust protection to psychedelic worship. Interfering with psychedelic worship now will legally be the same as interfering with a Mormon temple ceremony," he said. Be ready, though, for some confusion and misinterpretation.
Spring Cleaning
Yes, we let the feds in—with money. Doug Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States, visited Utah to announce $3.4 billion in infrastructure and energy investments. Of that, $580 million will go to the state's water infrastructure. City Creek Canyon Water Treatment facility will get $36 million to rebuild and retrofit. There's also a low-interest loan and other initiatives to make sure pipes aren't spreading lead contamination. That means underserved areas, specifically Salt Lake's west side, will have their lead service lines replaced. But it's not all about replacing pipes. The administration got an up-front view of the crisis with the Great Salt Lake.
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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