North Central Washington Sheriffs Push Back on Controversial Bill

North Central Washington Sheriffs are speaking out against a bill in the Washington Legislature that would update eligibility and training requirements for sheriffs, arguing it threatens local control and voter authority.

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Sheriffs Speak Out Against the Bill

In an open letter circulated this week, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison criticized Senate Bill 5974, formerly House Bill 1399, which supporters describe as a "modernization" of laws governing sheriffs and other law-enforcement leaders.

The sheriff contends the bill would allow an unelected state body to remove a locally elected official from office, a claim that has become a central point of opposition from law-enforcement associations.

"The most concerning provision of SB 5974 grants an unelected state board the authority to remove a duly elected Sheriff from office," the letter states. "This represents a fundamental shift of power away from voters and toward centralized authority."

Okanogan County Sheriff Paul Budrow had a similar message.

"There is a saying in the law enforcement profession that 'every policy has a name behind it.' In other words, some officer somewhere did something that the agency didn’t want to happen, and a policy was developed to prevent that in the future," Sheriff Budrow said. "The names are of elected Sheriffs who have said things or expressed opinions that many, including many other Sheriffs, do not like. However, not liking speech or opinions should not lead to overturning the will of the voters."

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.

What The Bill Does

SB 5974 would establish statewide eligibility and certification requirements for sheriffs, police chiefs, and town marshals. Among other provisions, the bill would require:

• A background investigation conducted by the Washington State Patrol.
• Verification of eligibility and certification by the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC).
• Ongoing training and maintenance of certification as a condition of serving in office.

Under the bill, failure to meet or maintain those requirements would mean the individual is no longer legally qualified to serve, creating a vacancy under existing state law.

Critics of the bill argue that tying an elected office to certification standards effectively gives the CJTC removal power over sheriffs, despite the commission being an unelected body.

“This slippery slope undermines the separation of powers and the principle that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed,” Morrison said.

The Senate Committee on Law & Justice will hold a public hearing on the bill at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15.