BILL REQ. #:  S-2597.1 

Read first time 03/06/2007.   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development.

     WHEREAS, The Liquor Control Board was established in 1933 to oversee the sale, manufacture, and distribution of liquor in this state; and
     WHEREAS, Many of the laws relating to liquor licensing and tied house have either not been substantially amended or been amended in a disjointed piecemeal manner since 1933; and
     WHEREAS, Since 1993 there have been 91 bills introduced in the legislature dealing with the sale, distribution, or manufacture of alcohol in this state, 16 of those bills being introduced during the 2007 session; and
     WHEREAS, The legislature has spent countless hours dealing with bills that create many small exemptions from provisions governing liquor licensing and tied house;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That the laws dealing with the sale and manufacture of liquor as well as the liquor licensing in general be thoroughly reviewed; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a joint select committee on the state liquor laws be established to review the liquor licensing and tied house laws to determine whether they should be continued in their present form or reformulated to decrease the number of bills introduced in the legislature each year; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee consist of eight members, four members each selected by the Majority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the legislature at the regular session held in 2008.