WA Costco Attempt Defeated

Washington State Brewers Guild help fight measure

Voters in Washington State have rejected Initiative 1100, which was financed largely by Costco and would have allowed grocery stores and other retailers to sell liquor.

The Washington Brewers Guild was opposed to the measure due to concerns over access to market issues.

Voters also killed a competing measure from liquor distributors, Initiative 1105, with 64 percent opposed.

Besides closing state stores, I-1100 would have dismantled regulations that keep retailers from getting price discounts. Both measures could have led to more than 3,000 stores selling liquor in Washington, compared to 325 now, the state Auditor’s Office estimated. In addition, the state’s Office of Financial Management estimated $51 million to $146 million a year in lost annual revenue to state and local governments.

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