(KCPW News) Democratic state lawmakers are seeking their own approach in figuring out the mismanagement inside the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control by forming a private-sector committee. Tuesday, House Minority Leader David Litvack joined Senate Minority Leader Ross Romero in sending a letter to Governor Gary Herbert, introducing a plan they say will help pinpoint the underlying problems inside the agency.
“The House and Senate leadership are requesting the help of our businesses leaders, community leaders to take a closer look at DABC,” Litvack explained. ” We’re all aware of the previous audits, but we think this is a problem that has been created by government, has been too partisan, too political and cannot be solved by government alone.”
Former Salt Lake County Auditor Jeff Hatch, the President and CEO of Standard Optical, Stephen Schubach, and retired Major General Peter S. Cooke have been asked to lead the committee. And Litvack says they want public input as well.
“While we’re asking the business leaders in our community and the community leaders to look at this and provide these high-level recommendations, we are asking, we are begging for public participation,” he said. “We need that to make sure that as we come into the 2012 general session we are well prepared and we’re making the right types of policy decisions of what is in the best interest for the people in the state of Utah.”
A recent audit of the DABC uncovered widespread mismanagement and alleged illegal activity dating back several years.
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