By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Washington citizens who turned out for a public hearing Thursday before the state Senate Law & Justice Committee to oppose Senate Bill 5974, which would allegedly threaten local control over elected county sheriffs, were denied the opportunity because the committee ran out of hearing time.
They may still submit written testimony.
But a spokesman for the Evergreen State’s billionaire-backed gun prohibition lobbying group did get to testify—in favor of the measure—contending that sheriffs need to enforce laws passed by the Legislature. The only laws about which the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility might be concerned would be increasingly restrictive gun control laws passed over the last few years, which the organization supported, but at least some county sheriffs have sometimes indicated they would not enforce.
In past years, a majority of county sheriffs have vocally opposed gun control legislation on the grounds the laws violated the state and federal constitutions.
Gun rights activist Jane Milhans, one of those who was unable to testify, but who will submit written testimony, told TGM via telephone, “A bunch of people that were there to support law enforcement who didn’t get to speak…They (majority Democrats) complain we are fascists, but they are the ones who are the actual fascists by not allowing us to testify.”
She asserted that the Democrat-controlled committee habitually holds the most controversial issues until the end of the hearing schedule in an effort to limit the public’s speaking time.
An unscientific poll of viewers by KOMO News was running almost 9-to-1 against the measure. According to KOMO, “The bill would…allow a state oversight board to remove a sitting sheriff if their peace officer certification is revoked.”
Tenets of SB 5974, which spans 26 pages, would require background checks by the Washington State Patrol, certification by the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) and “training and maintenance” of law enforcement certification for sheriffs while serving in office. The bill specifically states, “Any officer who is required to obtain and maintain certification and who has had their certification denied, revoked, or voluntarily surrendered and not reinstated in this state or any other state may not serve in any role as a peace officer, corrections officer, limited authority Washington peace officer, specially commissioned officer, or reserve officer.”
But critics of the bill say this essentially gives the unelected CJTC what amounts to veto power over voters.
KOMO also quoted Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison, who said the legislation would undermine the authority of voters. In Washington State, 38 of the 39 county sheriffs are elected. Only in liberal King County does the county executive get to appoint the sheriff.
KPQ News quoted an open letter Morrison circulated which states, “The most concerning provision of SB 5974 grants an unelected state board the authority to remove a duly elected Sheriff from office. This represents a fundamental shift of power away from voters and toward centralized authority.”
County sheriffs, at least in Washington and other western states, are typically the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in their jurisdiction. In the Evergreen State, they have traditionally opposed restrictive gun control policies, and a few years ago, then-Attorney General-now Governor—Bob Ferguson felt compelled to send a letter to the sheriffs warning them about failure to enforce an unpopular gun control law.
As noted by KPQ, “The bill has drawn opposition from the Washington State Sheriff’s Association (WSSA) and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), which argue that sheriffs are already accountable through elections, recall, and existing oversight mechanisms.”
TGM reached out for comment from WASPC Executive Director Steve Strachan, but did not receive a response Thursday.
