OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington voters could see a campaign to privatize liquor stores this fall.
A campaign called Modernize Washington has filed paperwork for an initiative to end the state monopoly on liquor sales and distribution by 2012. The measure also would increase liquor taxes.
It wasn’t immediately clear which interest groups are behind the campaign, which registered two possible versions of the initiative with state officials on Friday.
Initiative sponsors have to collect more than 240,000 valid petition signatures by July 2 to get the November ballot. Labor unions that represent state liquor-store employees are a likely opponent of any privatization campaign.
State legislators discussed private liquor sales during the legislative session, but the idea went nowhere.
