Bill keeping ‘Zion curtains’ heads to Utah gov.

FILE - Manager Dustin Humes holds wine bottles in a small room which is out of the view of patrons at Vivace Restaurant Monday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Utah lawmakers had considered repealing a law that requires restaurants to mix alcoholic drinks out of view from patrons. Commonly known as “Zion curtains,” the mandate went into effect for restaurants in 2010 as part of a compromise when lawmakers lifted a mandate for bars to operate as members-only social clubs. The rule does not apply to restaurants that opened before 2010. The House passed a bill that keeps the practice of "Zion curtains" in place and the bill now heads to the Governor's desk. Restaurant owners and tourism officials say the law is unnecessary and hinders tourism. But some lawmakers say that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – An omnibus liquor law bill that originally sought to repeal a rule for Utah restaurants to prepare alcoholic drinks behind a barrier is headed to the governor after lawmakers dropped the repeal.

Legislators had considered removing the barrier rule, but that idea was nixed earlier in the week when lawmakers raised concerns that removing the barriers would promote a “culture of alcohol” in the state.

The barriers, known as “Zion curtains,” went up in 2010 as part of a compromise after lawmakers lifted a requirement for bars to operate as members-only social clubs.

Lawmakers agreed to retreat from the repeal and gave final approval Thursday to the proposal, which instead creates a master liquor license for chain restaurants and increases penalties for establishments caught serving alcohol to underage patrons.

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