WA Senate gives final approval to bill that would allow removal of elected sheriffs
Mar 10, 2026, 3:14 PM | Updated: 3:32 pm
A photo of a King County Sheriff's Office badge. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The Washington State Senate on Monday gave final approval to a controversial law enforcement accountability bill, which would allow the removal of sheriffs.
Senate Bill 5974 passed 30-19 and would allow the state to decertify sheriffs and police chiefs who fail to meet professional standards.
“The legislation will ensure that law enforcement leaders are highly prepared and are held to the same standards of accountability and conduct that we expect of other law enforcement officers,” prime sponsor Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, said.
Critics argued the bill undermines local voters by giving an unelected state board authority over elected officials.
Senate Bill 5974 cleared the Washington House early Friday morning after nearly eight hours of debate, passing on a party-line vote with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.
It went back to the Senate for concurrence, where it was approved Monday. It now goes to Washington Governor Bob Ferguson for his signature.
The bill would raise the minimum age for sheriff candidates from 18 to 25, require at least five years of full-time law enforcement experience, and mandate background checks and certification from the Criminal Justice Training Commission. It would also allow the commission, an appointed state board, to revoke certification for misconduct, triggering automatic removal from office for elected sheriffs.
Critics call it an attack on voter sovereignty
Opponents came out hard against the measure, arguing it strips voters of their right to choose and remove their own sheriff.
“The most concerning provision of SB 5974 grants an unelected state board the authority to remove a duly elected sheriff from office,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said in an official statement. “This represents a fundamental shift of power away from voters and toward centralized authority.”
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels went further in video testimony during a House committee hearing, claiming the bill “undermines two bedrock principles of Washington state law: voter sovereignty and free elections,” according to KHQ.
“Sheriffs who dare push back get targeted,” Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank, one of the bill’s most vocal critics, stated on X before the vote. “This is payback, not policy.”
Republicans echoed that sentiment during the debate, with some calling it the “get rid of Keith Swank bill,” arguing Democrats were using legislation to remove a sheriff they couldn’t beat at the ballot box.
Sheriffs in Washington are elected in 38 of the state’s 39 counties. Critics argued the bill creates a mechanism for politically motivated removal by a governor-appointed board with no direct accountability to voters. Supporters countered that certification standards apply to every other peace officer in the state, and elected status shouldn’t exempt someone from basic professional requirements.
Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
