A ruling this week by a Cowlitz County judge is good news for the majority of votes who approved an initiative last November to get the state out of the business of selling liquor.

An effort backed by liquor distributors sued to block I-1183, saying it violated state law because it dealt with two subjects. Two weeks ago, Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning agreed with that point because the initiative mentioned both liquor and $10 million that would go to public safety.

His reversal sides with Costco and others who argued that people understand that liquor and safety are actually connected and thus one subject.

We argued back in October that while there many things the state should do, selling beer, wine and hard liquor isn’t one of them.

And, while I-1183 got the state out of the liquor selling business, it continues the state’s enforcement to keep booze out of the hands of our kids, in fact doubling the fines for businesses selling alcohol to minors.

I-1183 made sense then and Judge Warning sees it, too. If the issue goes next to the state Supreme Court, justices there also should support the voters’ decision.

– Craig Groshart,Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter