Washington State’s Marxists, Communists, Socialists, Progressives, Liberals and fellow travelers are cheering today as they contrived a way to wipe out yet another right long held by Americans: the right to elect their county sheriff. The two bills which accomplished this were passed along strictly party lines. Republicans in both the senate and the house apparently believe in voters’ rights and the bullies & totalitarians listed above, masquerading as Democrats, don’t. Their leader, Governor Bob Ferguson, is expected to sign both.
DEMOCRATS WILL CHOOSE & CONTROL SHERIFFS: BLM THUG ON COMMISSION
Senate Bill No. 5974 (SB 5974), sponsored by some of the most far Left state senators, has a provision which ensures that each county sheriff in the state will keep Democrats happy to avoid being targeted for decertification and removal from office. In addition, Democrats will decide who can run for county sheriff and voters will be left to choose among those candidates selected by Democrats. This process will take up to two years which effectively eliminates write-in candidates. I don’t need to tell my readers that NO constitutional sheriff will ever be sworn in again, the voters be damned.
The 21-member Criminal Justice Training Commission, whose members are appointed by the Democrat governor, will decide who runs for sheriff and, once elected, who remains a sheriff. This commission is currently in the process of decertifying Pierce County Keith Swank. Indeed, some lawmakers are calling this legislation the “anti-Keith Swank” bill. The head thug of Black Lives Matter Seattle, Katrina Johnson, was appointed to the commission in October 2021^ AFTER she orchestrated four months of rioting which killed two black teens in Seattle and did massive damage across the state.
Need I say more about this commission’s mission?
FOREIGN NATIONALS AS POLICE, SHERIFFS
Senate Bill No. 5068 (SB 5068) was sponsored by the usual suspects who are fighting hard to dismantle Americans’ freedoms & rights within Washington State. The Democrats who own this state were not happy with just giving illegal aliens the right to professional licenses and the right to carry firearms, which they did during the 2024 Legislative Session. And they aren’t happy with just decertifying ELECTED sheriffs which they will begin doing as soon as the governor signs SB 5974. Via SB 5068, they will be hiring foreign nationals, legals & illegals, as law enforcement officers, POLICING AMERICANS.
These bills undermine law enforcement and impose burdensome oversight weakening their ability to maintain law and order. Empowering the state attorney general to decertify elected sheriffs promotes a radical leftist agenda that prioritizes ideological control over traditional merit-based policing and public safety.
Governor Bob Ferguson is expected to sign both bills. After all, during his 12 years as attorney general he was instrumental in concocted many forms of “defunding police.” These are more of the same with a dash of globalism thrown in.
Thirty of Washington’s 39 sheriffs, along with some county commissioners & prosecutors across the state, with the Spokane County prosecutor leading the way, are in the process of drafting a lawsuit to fight SB 5974. It will be filed once the bill has been signed by Ferguson. It violates both the Washington State Constitution and the US Constitution.
DEMOCRATS ARE OBSESSED WITH CONTROL
SB 5974 takes away the right of the people to elect their sheriff. This will be a weapon used by the Democrats to control sheriffs. Democrats control the State House, the State Senate and every statewide elected office. They control every single thing in Washington State except sheriffs. With the passage of this bill they believe they will be able to control sheriffs. They will decertify them, remove them from office and appoint people they want. Then Democrats will have complete control over everybody.
These two bills are part of the larger Communist-style attack on local police, intended to dismantle local law enforcement through decriminalization, sanctuary protections of criminals, identity politics, and excessive regulation, replacing meritocracy with centralized policing in Olympia that serves political agendas, NOT the safety of the residents of Washington State.
Don’t reside in Washington State? You are not safe from this madness. Once implemented in Washington State, this method of suppressing Americans’ rights and outlawing local police will move to other blue states. Indeed, other states are likely implementing their own versions right now. Expect to see this legislation in Oregon and California the next legislative session.
Check me out on X @dianelgruber.
Update on the following article: Republicans were able to amend SB 5974 to exclude current incumbents, so Sheriff Garcia will not be removed from office:
State Democrats Decertifying Very Popular Pacific County, WA Sheriff
Caption: This writer is standing next to Pacific County Undersheriff Mike Ray who came out of retirement to work with Sheriff Daniel Garcia. Ric Gerig stands next to him. This photo was taken last May when Peninsula Patriots hosted a Law Enforcement Meet & Greet.
^Johnson left the commission in June 2024.
The author, Diane L. Gruber, is a First Amendment advocate who writes for Substack. She calls her Substack newsletter America First Re-Ignited. Follow me on X @DianeLGruber.
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