COSTCO UPDATE: ONE STEP CLOSER TO DIRECT SHIPPING

A Washington State Senate committee on Friday unanimously approved a bill that would legalize direct-to-retailer shipping for beer and wine, a move that Costco chief Jim Sinegal said would accomplish his objective. “Assuming that happens, I think the consumer ends up being the winner,” he told a paper.

The proposed state Senate bill must be brought to a full vote in the Senate, before it is passed into the House. Some form of the bill is expected to pass, as the Legislature has until April 14 to fix what Judge Pechman ruled was unconstitutional protections for in-state wineries. This version of the bill is set to expire in 2008 unless the Legislature acts to extend it.