SALT LAKE CITY -- A Republican state senator says he wants to keep alcohol out of the view of minors in restaurants -- at least until it reaches a customer's table.

Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said children shouldn't be allowed to see liquor bottles or drinks being poured.

"Restaurants are turning into bars," Waddoups said. "It's making it look attractive. Kids see it and wonder what they're missing. I think we need to be a little more strict."

Utah already has some of the most strict liquor laws in the country, a distinction that causes heartburn for the state's $6 billion-a-year tourism industry.

Utah is the only state that requires most restaurants to have a glass barrier, dubbed a "Zion Curtain," that separates customers from bartenders in restaurants that serve liquor. Servers must walk around the bar to serve a drink. Waddoups, however, contends that Utah's liquor laws aren't strict enough. He says he'd like to see a physical barrier blocking the view of alcohol at restaurants and the preparation of drinks or have it all moved into a room that customers can't see.

Waddoups' proposal will be discussed during a legislative meeting Wednesday, although Gov. Jon Huntsman has said the Zion Curtain needs to be eliminated, not expanded. Huntsman says that Utah's liquor laws need to be brought in line with the rest of the country's in an effort to boost tourism and attract talented workers to the state.

Huntsman has pledged to eliminate a state law that requires customers to fill out an application and pay a fee for the right to walk into a bar. In Utah, bars are open to the public, but are considered private clubs. It is the only state in the country with such a law.

However, Waddoups also is opposing any effort to eliminate private clubs because he says they reduce drunken driving and underage alcohol consumption.

Huntsman said he still believes progress will be made to "normalize" Utah's liquor laws, but there likely will be trade-offs.

"The good news is that it's even being discussed in the first place, because it represents we're not maintaining the status quo," Huntsman said.