A lot of people have misconceptions about Utah. If one of your impressions of Utah is that it has backward alcohol laws, however, you are right on that one. Utah does not have establishments called "bars," but rather establishments exactly like bars called "private clubs." In order to get into a private club, you must be a member, become a member at the door (essentially, pay a cover), or be with a member. This is all pointless and inconvenient. It's also all just background information to confirm another idea you may have about Utah: that the Mormon church has great influence over state government. Exhibit A, from the Salt Lake Tribune:
The effort to do away with Utah's private club law received a major boost Wednesday, as LDS Church officials told Republican leaders they would be amenable to an alternative.
The meeting was attended by Bill Evans, the church's lobbyist; several members of the public affairs department; and Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; members of the First Quorum of the Seventy; and Bishop H. David Burton, the presiding bishop for the church.
First of all, since when does government legislation require church approval? Second, the church has a lobbyist?
As a disclaimer, the church spokesperson points out that "The church took no position on any legislation." This is disingenuous at best. There is no practical difference between expressing view X in a meeting with government legislators and endorsing legislation agreeing with view X. This slight of hand is what allows the church to maintain its tax-free status, however.
In case you are wondering about the alternative under consideration, it is to electronically scan everyone's driver's license when they enter a bar, instead of requiring membership. Seriously.
Thumbs up to our Governor, Jon Huntsman Jr., who strongly supports repealing the private club laws, saying that we need to "bring ourselves into the 21st century." Amen to that. We voted for him, by the way.
Side note: If the Quorum of the Twelve sounds familiar to you, it may be because the government in Battlestar Galactica is in fact called the Quorum of Twelve.
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