OLYMPIA, Wash. - A group of local retailers and restaurants, including Costco, the Northwest Grocery Association and the Washington Restaurant Association, filed a ballot initiative late last week that seeks to privatize the distribution and sale of liquor in the state of Washington.

"This initiative will modernize the wholesale distribution and retail sales of liquor in a way that increases consumer choice and convenience, and increases state and local revenues while continuing to protect public safety and strictly regulate the distribution and sale of liquor," said Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocery Association.

Last November, voters rejected a similar bill with 53 percent of the vote. The measure would have allowed grocery stores and other retailers to sell liquor. Costco pushed a similar privatization proposal this year that also failed.

The new proposal would allow "a limited number of retail stores €¦ to sell liquor if they meet certain requirements," according to a statement by the group. "Eligible stores would be required to have 10,000 square feet or more of fully enclosed retail space within a single structure or, in areas where larger stores are absent, meet other requirements set by the Liquor Control Board."

The initiative would affect roughly 1,500 grocery and retail stores that would be eligible to apply for a license to sell liquor. The initiative would prohibit liquor from being sold at gas stations and convenience stores.

Now that the initiative has been filed, it goes through a state process to establish an official ballot title; petitions will then be printed.

Proponents said they would begin to gather signatures in a month and hope to qualify for submission to the voters on the November state ballot.