Watch my weekly legislative update to learn more about what’s happening
this early in the 2026 Legislative Session.
Elected sheriffs shouldn’t become partisan pawns
WATCH the testimony by the Sheriff of Spokane County against SB 5974.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
When voters elect a sheriff to lead the law-enforcement officers who protect their county, an unelected board that answers to the governor should not have the power to decertify that sheriff. Allowing a non-elected entity to remove an elected official undermines the will of the people—and democracy itself. It also turns sheriffs into pawns of partisan politics and the agenda of the majority party in Olympia.
This may seem like an obvious principle. Yet Democrats in Olympia are backing Senate Bill 5974, claiming it will “strengthen and modernize” the laws governing sheriffs and other law-enforcement officers. In reality, the bill would erode local control and concentrate the power over criminal justice in Olympia—to the detriment of all 39 counties across Washington.
Sheriffs are elected under processes defined by our state Constitution. They swear an oath to uphold not only that constitution, but—above all—the U.S. Constitution. They also swear to uphold the laws of our state, subject to the constraints of the constitutions.
The Democratic majority has already passed the so-called Keep Washington Working Act, which contains unconstitutional mandates aligned with their political agenda. SB 5974 represents the next step: empowering the state to remove sheriffs who recognize that their constitutional obligations count more than those dictates.
The bill received a hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee on January 15. Many sheriffs testified in opposition, raising serious concerns that we share—particularly about the negative effect on rural communities.
There are broader implications as well. The Spokane County Sheriff noted that SB 5974 would make sheriffs the only elected officials in Washington who could be removed or decertified by a non-elected board. Ask yourself: Why would Democrats care about a county sheriff differently than a county auditor, or a city mayor? Many in the law-enforcement community have described the bill as a targeted political attack.
More than 13,000 people signed in to oppose the bill at the committee level—an extraordinary level of engagement, especially on just the fourth day of the legislative session. Thank you to everyone who took part.
If you oppose this legislation, now is the time to act – before the committee can vote. Contact the chair and members of the Senate Law and& Justice Committee and demand they reject Senate Bill 5974.
Elected sheriffs should remain accountable to their voters—not to an unelected board with no connection to the communities they serve.
Sincerely,
John Braun
My commentary in The Centralia Chronicle
An income tax on anyone in our state would
become an income tax on everyone.
Do the Democrats who run Olympia think Washingtonians are fools? It sure seems that way as we learn more about their plan to create a state income tax.
As I write this, we still don’t know the details, because no income-tax bill has been filed. But Democrat leaders clearly want to approve a state income tax this year – and now we see how they’ll try to sell it.
From Governor Ferguson on down, income-tax supporters claim it would apply only to people whose annual taxable income exceeds $1 million. That’s right in line with their divisive, make-the-wealthy-pay-more ideology. It also acts as the “bait.”
The trouble is, everyone knows a state income tax has been a Democrat dream for many decades. Common sense tells us the ultimate goal is to have every Washington resident pay it. A high-ranking member of the House Democrat majority even agrees. That’s the “switch.”
