Tagged: liquor privitization

LONGVIEW, Wash. — A Cowlitz County judge has upheld a voter-approved initiative privatizing liquor sales in Washington state.

Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning had ruled on March 2 that Initiative 1183 addresses two different subjects because it includes a provision for public safety funds.

Attorneys for the state asked the judge to reconsider on Monday, arguing that public safety and liquor have a close relationship. Warning heard arguments from both sides and then reversed his earlier decision, granting the state's motion for summary judgment.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The fight to privatize liquor sales in Washington just got a lot more expensive. Costco has dumped another $9 million into the Yes on Initiative 1183 campaign.

That brings the wholesale giant’s total spending to more than $22 million – a state record for a ballot measure.

Washington would have the option to privatize the state’s liquor distribution system under a measure that passed the state Senate Saturday. It’s the latest compromise in a long-running debate over the future of Washington’s liquor system.