Booze sales surge near Wash. border
Idaho state liquor officials say Washington's newly privatized liquor market is giving a boost to Idaho's already-rising liquor sales.
The surge in Idaho border-store sales mirrors a surge in Oregon, where sales near the Washington border rose 35 percent in June, bringing Oregon $870,000 more than usual. That's just a hair more than Idaho's border-store sales increase last month. Oregon, like Idaho, has a state-run liquor market.
Washington voters last year approved privatization of the state's liquor business, opening up liquor sales to grocery stores and other retailers. That came with a new 10 percent distributor fee plus a 17 percent retail fee to replace money the state lost when it shut down its state-run liquor stores. The result was higher prices for consumers at many retail outlets. Audrey Dutton/Idaho Statesman