S-0654.1                   _______________________________________________

                                      SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8402

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State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senators McAuliffe, Amondson, Wojahn, Prentice, Pelz, Sutherland, Loveland, A. Smith, Quigley, M. Rasmussen and Erwin

Read first time 01/28/93.  Referred to Committee on Labor & Commerce.

Requesting the liquor control board to uphold the spirit and letter of the Steel Act.

          WHEREAS, In 1933, the Twenty-third Legislative Body considered and passed the historic Steel Act allowing for the sale of liquor in state-owned, state-controlled liquor stores; and

          WHEREAS, The Steel Act strictly prohibited the Liquor Control Board from advertising liquor in any form or through any medium whatsoever; and

          WHEREAS, It is generally accepted that the Twenty-third Legislative Body intended the Liquor Control Board to establish state-run liquor stores that possess modest exterior and interior design features to assure that the state would not use store design as a subtle form of advertisement; and

          WHEREAS, The Steel Act clearly intended to prohibit the establishment of state-run liquor stores with flamboyant store signs, eye-catching liquor displays, or other highly visible merchandising practices that in a subtle or overt manner seek to entice the public into purchasing liquor; and

          WHEREAS, The establishment of state liquor stores, such as the One Union Square store, which utilize many of the above merchandising practices, clearly violates the spirit and letter of the Steel Act as it relates to the advertisement of liquor by the state;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That the intent of the Steel Act concerning the design of state-run liquor stores be reaffirmed; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Liquor Control Board uphold the intent of the Steel Act as it relates to the design of state liquor stores by developing plans for future stores that are primarily functional in nature and do not incorporate highly visible design features similar to those utilized in the One Union Square store.

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