Washington election results: Voters approve liquor privatization plan

[The Northerner]

Voters in Washington state have decided to end the state’s involvement in the business of selling liquor.

On Tuesday, voters approved a ballot initiative, led by Costco Wholesale, to privatize the state’s liquor business and allow private retailers to sell liquor instead. Beginning June 1, grocery stores in Washington will begin selling liquor.

About 60 percent of voters favored Initiative 1183 on Tuesday.

Beginning next June, liquor sales will shift from the state to grocery and warehouse stores, including Costco. It also means more than 900 state employees, most of them workers at state-run liquor stores, will be out of a job.

Read more: http://www.thestatecolumn.com/washington/washington-election-results-voters-approve-liquor-privatization-plan/

[MineralMan]

1. Personally, I think this is a good idea.

My own state, Minnesota, has a strange combination of municipally-owned liquor stores and bars in some towns and cities, and privately-owned in others. It's a terrible mess and makes no sense whatsoever.

[meow2u3]

2. And I thought Pennsylvania was the only state that ran liquor stores

It makes no sense, apart from union representation, to have liquor sales wholly run by the state. That's probably the only thing preventing Pennsylvania from privatizing liquor sales, unless liquor store employees can unionize in a privately-run operation.

[yewberry]

3. I'm not thrilled.

Hundreds of people out of work, adding a new layer into the revenue stream, and our local craft distilleries & vintners are worried about their businesses dying.

[hughee99]

4. Will companies that start selling liquor have to hire people

to help with the additional sales and stocking?