Rep. Tim Hawkes earned lots of laughs from his Republican House colleagues on Thursday as he reviewed some of the “weird” alcohol laws on the books in other states, from prohibitions against serving alcohol to animals to bans on beer advertisements that include depictions of Santa Claus.
But the mood in the House Majority Caucus room sobered significantly when the Centerville Republican pivoted to discuss fetal alcohol syndrome, liver cirrhosis, and impaired driving.
“People lose their lives and limbs on our highways,” Hawkes said, adding that liver disease can see people “literally drink themselves to death.”
Hawkes was explaining his opposition to an effort to allow Utah grocery and convenience stores to sell beer with 4.