Nov. 20--Now that the November elections have passed, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is again turning his attention to abolishing the private club membership fees people must pay before they can buy a drink in Utah.

Earlier this year, Huntsman had quietly asked the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission to postpone drafting legislation he had sought until the makeup of the Legislature became known. So the commission deferred.

On Wednesday, Huntsman spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley said the governor's staff is putting together a bill, bypassing the normal channel of having the commssion's staff draft legislation.

"The overriding purpose of the legislation is to eliminate private club fees," she said. "Beyond that, I cannot comment on any specifics."

Liquor Commission Chairman Sam Granato said Wednesday that because the governor has been pushing to eliminate membership fees "it is fine that he draft the legislation. It's his bill."

In September, the hospitality industry, buoyed by Huntsman's initiative, got another boost when the LDS Church issued a statement suggesting a willingness to support reasonable changes to Utah's liquor laws. The statement, posted on the church's Web site, acknowledged that liquor-law reform probably would come before the 2009 Legislature and said dialogue would be possible. Strong opposition from church leaders probably would have derailed reform efforts.

Scott Trotter, spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints, on Wednesday said nothing has changed from the September posting.

The push to abolish club fees -- which range from $5 to $17 for each annual club membership -- is driven by the governor's belief that the requirement negatively impacts tourism and hurts the hospitality industry. Wiping out the fees would be the biggest change in state alcohol regulations in 40 years.

One stumbling block to any change is the Utah Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The group's president, Art Brown, has been lobbying LDS leaders, lawmakers and other groups, saying club fees cut down on drunk driving accidents and underage drinking.

"Any liberalization of liquor laws encourage consumption," he asserted Wednesday.

Brown said he would support temporary welcome cards to appease the state's hospitality industry in which tourists with out-of-state identification would not have to pay club fees. He said tourists "don't come to Utah and head to a private club. It's the Utah people who are drinking and driving."

dawn@sltrib.com

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