Democratic senators in Olympia sent a bill to the state House on Thursday that would oust elected sheriffs if they don't hold a peace officer certification, a move Republicans and some local law enforcement officials say overrides the will of voters.
Senate Bill 5974, sponsored by Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, seeks to modernize standards for county sheriffs. The bill passed 30-19, with no Republican senators voting in support.
The bill would, in part, make it easier to remove sheriffs decertified by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Lovick, a former state trooper, served as Snohomish County sheriff from 2007 to 2013.
Law enforcement officers in Washington must obtain a peace officer certification from the commission. Current law mandates that sheriffs undergo CJTC training within 12 months of assuming office, but there’s no removal process for noncompliance.
If the House passes the bill, any sheriff who doesn't get certified would be removed from power. County lawmakers would be tasked with filling the role.
It would also disqualify sheriff candidates who had their peace officer certification “denied, revoked, or voluntarily surrendered” at any point in their careers. The bill applies to police chiefs and marshals as well. It also increases the minimum age to serve as sheriff from 18 to 25 and tightens rules around volunteers and posses.
A police officer, a deputy, would have to vacate, would have to … leave that position if they are decertified," Lovick said in an interview Saturday, "and I think it's only fair that our leaders are held to the same standards."
Several sheriffs in the state, as well as the Washington Republican Party, have vocally opposed the bill, saying it undermines voters. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs also opposes the legislation.
"There are mechanisms in place to remove rogue sheriffs," the state GOP said in a post to X, referring to a recall election. "This is a political maneuver & power grab to strip local sheriffs of their independence."
Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank has been one of the bill's most vocal opponents. At a committee hearing, he threatened to show up at the County-City Building in downtown Tacoma with thousands of supporters if the law is passed and he is removed from power.
Lovick said he's worried about the lack of bipartisan support, but is confident the bill will pass in the House. He's working with Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, to make any needed adjustments to the bill.
"I believe the temperature is going to come down," Lovick said Saturday. "I think when people look at this, and say 'This is about accountability. This is about integrity.' The integrity of the office of sheriff. I think people are going to understand, people are going to get this, and I think they're starting to get it."
As for concerns about the will of the voters and sheriffs, Lovick's message is simple: If you do the job by the book, you wouldn't have to worry about decertification.
"If our sheriffs and our police chiefs and all of our law enforcement leaders stick to strict standards, and they do the job that they are appointed or elected to do, they're still going to get elected, he said.
The House referred the bill to the Community Safety Committee on Saturday.
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