Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
In a media release from Senator Jim McCune, R-Graham, on Friday, Feb. 13, he warned that Senate Bill 5974 is both “dangerous” and “anti-sheriff,” after the bill was passed by the Washington State Senate on Thursday, Feb. 12.
The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 30-13. McCune was part of the 19 votes against the proposed bill, and voted alongside senators John Braun, Matt Boehnke, Leonard Christian, Perry Dozier, Phil Fortunato, Chris Gildon, Keith Goehner, Paul Harris, Jeff Holy, Curtis King and others — all Republican.
Sponsors of Senate Bill 5974 are senators John Lovick, Manka Dhingra, Mike Chapman, Noel Frame, T’wina Nobles, Jamie Pedersen, Jesse Salomon, Derek Stanford, Yasmin Trudeau, Javier Valdez and Lisa Wellman.
The bill is currently in the Washington state House of Representatives’ committee process.
McCune, cited in a media release, believes that Senate Bill 5974 prioritizes “a political agenda” over the safety of communities within Washington and shifts the power to an unelected state commission — rather than local voters.
McCune — who has spent six years as chair of the Public Safety Committee in Pierce County and eight years on Pierce County Council — argued that Senate Bill 5974 “undermines the constitutional foundation of local governance.”
“I stand in opposition to this bill,” McCune said. “After years of working closely with law enforcement, I’ve seen firsthand that sheriffs are elected by the voters and should be accountable only to the voters. This bill is a dangerous shift of power to unelected state boards that will undermine our constitutional republic form of government.”
McCune spoke about the historical precedent in Pierce County during the floor debate. He claimed that after a period of corruption — and a shift to the appointed sheriff model — Pierce County citizens overwhelmingly voted to return to the election model for the position of sheriff in 2008. He said the primary reason for the return to an elected sheriff was to ensure direct accountability within the agency.
“The people overwhelmingly supported an elected sheriff — somebody that was accountable to the people,” McCune said. “Passing this bill is a dangerous move that will undermine local authority and jeopardize the public safety in our communities. There’s no doubt about it: this is a political agenda, not a plan for keeping our districts safe.”
McCune’s 2nd Legislative District includes regions of Pierce County and Thurston County, and he emphasized the “human cost of policing” in those two counties. He reflected on his attendance at memorial services for fallen officers — along with his visits to different training programs and exercises.
“I’ve seen the extensive training these officers go through. They have a tough job to do, and we need these officers. They are special and they are important,” McCune said. “Instead of undermining their leadership, we should be addressing the fact that they are underpaid and working in high-risk environments where their families could be left destitute.”
You can learn more about the proposed bill by visiting https://tinyurl.com/SenateBill5974 and can contact McCune by phone at 360-786-7602. Visit his website at jimmccune.src.wastateleg.org to learn how to email the Senator.
