Local coalition and council debate state 'law‑enforcement leaders' bill after injunctions halted parts of it

Debbie Novak, eastern region lead for the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, and Jim Leedy, founder of Citizen 926, briefed the committee on Senate Bill 5974, which they described as the law‑enforcement leaders bill.

Novak said the bill sets minimum requirements for sheriffs and police chiefs, including age and certification timelines, and requires certification within nine months for a person voted into office. She said it also adds grounds to disqualify candidates who have felony convictions or disqualifying misconduct and that it extends the CJTC’s ability to remove or discipline law‑enforcement leaders in cases of misconduct.

Jim Leedy said the bill limits duties volunteers can perform — banning volunteers from enforcing criminal law, detaining, arresting or using deadly force — to address gaps in oversight for posse and reserve programs. He argued the CJTC expansion and complaint process improve accountability.

Novak and Leedy told the committee the bill passed the legislature and was signed by the governor, but court challenges in Pend Oreille and Thurston counties have produced temporary injunctions that are pausing parts of the law’s implementation.

Council members asked whether the bill gives unelected panels too much power to remove elected sheriffs and raised concerns about subjective standards and First Amendment implications. Novak and Leedy said that purely subjective elements were stripped from the final bill and that the hearing panel is a five‑member body with civilian and officer representation; they emphasized the long timelines and checks in the CJTC process.

The presenters also noted that the CJTC has grown since 2021 and currently handles a much larger complaint caseload; they said advocates are seeking additional staffing in future legislative sessions.

Council members requested further explanation of how the bill interacts with the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations and regional investigative capacity. Novak said Region 2 operations have just opened and that a state‑level investigative office could reduce local fiscal pressure for major officer‑involved investigations.

No formal council action was taken; the presentation was informational and the bill’s legal status remains subject to the pending court proceedings reported by presenters.