By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports 

The Senate State Affairs Committee introduced a new liquor law bill for Idaho’s resort cities, after longtime debates about the number of liquor licenses per city and exceptions for certain business types. 

Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, sponsored the bill, which would only apply to a designated resort city. Under current law, a city’s number of liquor licenses increases by city population.  

To qualify as a resort city, a city must derive the major portion of its economic well-being from businesses catering to recreational needs and meeting the needs of people traveling to that destination city for an extended period of time.  

The bill would allow three additional liquor licenses in a resort city, but they could only be used during normal business hours. The majority of the restaurant’s revenue must be from food, and liquor may only be served during the normal hours when food is served.  

No establishment with a resort city liquor license under the bill would be able to operate as a bar or lounge. 

The licenses would be approved by local city councils and mayors and priority will be given on a first-come, first-served basis when applications are filed. The resort city liquor licenses would not count toward the limit on the number of licenses issued by city according to population.  

Several bills with adjustments to liquor license laws were introduced last session, with most failing to make it out of the building and one vetoed by the governor. Another bill that did pass reformed under what circumstances a license holder can sell their existing liquor license. 

Guthrie’s bill must still get a public hearing before moving forward.