Washington state's attorney general sued over the deal in January. The California attorney general's office said in October it was weighing whether the deal violated competition law but has not taken action. Colorado's lawsuit also challenged what it said were unlawful agreements restricting hiring between Kroger and Albertsons. Kroger has proposed to divest more than 400 stores and eight distribution centers to C&S Wholesale Grocers to allay antitrust concerns over the deal. Kroger and Albertsons in January said they were pushing back their anticipated closure until later in the year. A U.S. federal judge in December dismissed a consumer class action in California court that challenged the deal. (Reporting by Mike Scarcella Editing by David Bario and Leslie Adler)