This Washington
Liquor Privatization Campaign Turns in 350,000 Signatures.
The Costco-backed signature drive to get a liquor privatization measure on this year's ballot turned in 354,398 signatures this morning with the Secretary of State, 19,400 petition sheets. Campaigns need 241,000 valid signatures by today. (The Secretary of State recommends turning in 320,000 signatures to ensure you have enough valid ones.)
The proposal would take the booze business out of state hands (leaving the tax and liquor control board in place to regulate) and only allow 10,000 square foot stores (like Costco) to sell liquor. The stores would be required to give 17 percent of their alcohol sales revenue to the state annually.
A Costco-backed initiative that didn't come with the 10,000 square foot rule—raising concerns among voters that there'd be a flood of corner liquor stores—failed at the ballot last year 53.43 to 46.57.
Costco, so far the only funder, has donated $640,659 to this year's initiative, I-1183.
Today is the deadline to turn in signatures. Yesterday, a proposed cage-free chicken initiative campaign decided not to turn in its 355,000 signatures after striking an apparent compromise with the egg farming industry.
Tim Eyman and the Service Employees International Union—pushing an initiative regulating tolling and a health care worker training mandate respectively—are reportedly set to turn in signatures today as well.
A pot decriminalization measure sponsored by Sensible Washington hasn't guaranteed they'll meet the deadline.
The proposal would take the booze business out of state hands (leaving the tax and liquor control board in place to regulate) and only allow 10,000 square foot stores (like Costco) to sell liquor. The stores would be required to give 17 percent of their alcohol sales revenue to the state annually.
A Costco-backed initiative that didn't come with the 10,000 square foot rule—raising concerns among voters that there'd be a flood of corner liquor stores—failed at the ballot last year 53.43 to 46.57.
Costco, so far the only funder, has donated $640,659 to this year's initiative, I-1183.
Today is the deadline to turn in signatures. Yesterday, a proposed cage-free chicken initiative campaign decided not to turn in its 355,000 signatures after striking an apparent compromise with the egg farming industry.
Tim Eyman and the Service Employees International Union—pushing an initiative regulating tolling and a health care worker training mandate respectively—are reportedly set to turn in signatures today as well.
A pot decriminalization measure sponsored by Sensible Washington hasn't guaranteed they'll meet the deadline.
