Additional material added, 1:50 p.m. June 22

You can find a copy of the petition at the bottom of this post. 

The aftermath of Initiative 1183 continues.  A West side group, the  1183 Coalition, announced on Friday it filed a Thurston County suit contesting how the state implemented the rules covering sales from retail locations.

I-1183, passed by voters last fall, allows private sales of liquor across Washington state.

The coalition includes the Washington Restaurant Association (WRA), the Northwest Grocery Association (NWGA) and Costco Wholesale Corp.

The suit is particularly focused on Liquor Control Board rulings that deter retail-to-retail sales. The main concerns are:

• 24-liter per day restriction on sales of wine and spirits from retailers to restaurants
• Restrictions on delivery locations for spirits distributors
• Imposition of unauthorized fee on certain spirits manufacturers
• Discrimination against foreign spirit producers ability to market product to retailers

Attorneys for the coalition say the board's approach "arbitrarily restricts the wholesale distribution and pricing of wine and spirits. This approach erodes small businesses' ability to compete in the marketplace; it protects distributors from competition and increases prices for consumers."

 

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