Legalize Adulthood in Utah!

Just what is the idea of legalizing adulthood anyway?

Quite simply, "legalizing adulthood" is the idea of repealing laws against victimless crimes. More specifically, the slogan "Legalize Adulthood in Utah" was used for a petition drive in 1992 to get a measure on the ballot that would:

1. Repeal all regulation on the sale of alcohol to adults. This includes the Utah State Liquor Commission, the state-monopoly on liquor stores, "dram shop" laws that hold bartenders accountable for the actions of patrons, etc.
2. Enact strict penalties for drunken driving and acts of violence committed while under the influence.
3. Deregulate the taxi industry such that anyone with a car that has passed current state safety inspections and a suitable amount of insurance for passengers could carry passengers at whatever rate they wished.

The idea behind this proposal was to give non-violent, responsible citizens the freedom to consume alcohol without state interference. Consistent with the idea of responsibility being the flip-side of freedom, the measure enacted strict penalties on the responsible parties for irresponsible actions while intoxicated. Further, the measure deregulated taxis so that there would be an incentive for the free-market to provide safe and inexpensive transportation for individuals who were intoxicated.

The petition measure was a non-partisan effort, affiliated with no political party whatsoever -- purely a signature drive. Unfortunately the measure did not garner enough signatures to get on the ballot in 1992, but the idea is still sound. However, the slogan behind the measure came from Tom Barberi (with his permission).