Cowlitz County Judge Stephen Warning has approved the motion to intervene as defendants filed by John McKay (Costco coo and general counsel), Costco, the Washington Restaurant Association, Kroger, Safeway, Family Wineries of Washington and the Northwest Grocery Association among others. They, along with the State of Washington, will defend the passage of I-1183 against plaintiffs including a Washington retailer, a landlord for a state-owned liquor store and the Washington Association for the Prevention of Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention. Plaintiffs argue that I-1183 violates the state's single subject rule and is similar to a separate lawsuit filed by labor unions in King County. King County Judge Palmer Robinson ruled yesterday that the lawsuit would not move forward until the Cowlitz County case is decided.