Restaurant groups and officials from Utah's skiing industry are urging Gov. Gary Herbert to veto a bill that would give Utah the strictest drunken driving threshold in the nation, lowering the blood alcohol limit to .05 from .08.
The Salt Lake Area Restaurant Association, Ski Utah and the American Beverage Institute, a national restaurant group, say the proposal could punish responsible drinkers and damage hospitality and tourism in a state that's struggled to shrug off its reputation as a heavily Mormon place where it's hard to get a drink.
Herbert says he supports the measure but has stopped short of committing to sign it. He has until March 29 to act.
Bill sponsor Rep. Norm Thurston, a Provo Republican, says he doesn't think it will hurt tourism but it would make people think twice about drinking and driving.
