Welcome to the Klickitat Voice

Today I want to talk about HB 1399. This bill is a threat to public safety. Once again, the Washington State Democrats are bound and determined to get more control and take the right of the citizens being able to choose their elected officials. This is something Governor Ferguson wants the 2026 Legislature to push and get it passed.
This would allow the Criminal Justice Training Commission to decertify the elected Sheriff at any given moment and allow the Governor to appoint a Sheriff who would enforce all mandates and directives that the Governor wants implemented. This would make the Sheriff the Governor’s enforcer. It is about the Governor being able to take control of what goes on in the county. More than likely, it would be someone from out of the county, so there would be no ties to the citizens, and the new Sheriff would not have an investment in the county. The Criminal Justice Training Commission Staff is all appointed by the Governor, so they fall directly under his authority.
King County has an appointed Sheriff and has the highest crime rate in Washington State. Nationwide, 92% of the counties in the US are safer than King County.
During Bob Ferguson’s time as Attorney General was a period of one of the highest increases in crime in the state. Also, because of being a Sanctuary State, one of the most notorious Mexican Cartels, the Jalisco New Generation cartel, established operations in Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest, with plans of setting up base operations in Yakima.
This is what Robert Hammer, the special agent-in-charge of Homeland Security Investigations, says about the violent tactics that the Jalisco Cartel uses on anyone who gets in their way. Whether it’s ripping the fingernails out of somebody’s hands to send a message to them, tying them up in a tree in the middle of Central Washington to die, or dismembering them and shipping their remains off, they’re there to deliver an effective message, Hammer said, “Which is don’t mess with us.”
At the first sign of the cartels setting up operations in Washington State, the A/G should have started proactive measures and increased law enforcement to prevent their infiltration and operations. Apparently, by the time A/G Ferguson started to address the cartel situation, they had established a

foothold and now the challenge to eliminate their influence and activities is very difficult. Also during Bob Ferguson’s term there was a significant decrease in the amount of law enforcement officers because of making almost impossible to enforce the laws that they were hired to enforce and making it confusing which laws were ones that the A/G wanted to use.
All that to say is this the person you want choosing your Sheriff?
One of the most troubling aspects of HB 1399 is its violation of Article 1, Section 19 of the Washington State Constitution, which empowers citizens’ rights to run for office and participate in elections without interference from any civil power.
Additionally, HB 1399 violates Article 1, Section 33, which ensures the right to recall elected officials by voters.
If this gets pushed through the Legislature this will be a threat to public safety and local control. Once this is accomplished it will be very easy to go to the next step and that will be the County Commissioners will be appointed by the Governor, then the County Auditor and so on.
This is just another reason why HB 1399 is so dangerous. This leads to a total tyrannical state. I don’t believe anyone wants to live where the state government is in control of every aspect of their lives.
That’s why it is important for people to rise up and let the Legislature know that HB 1399 has to be voted down.

Written By: Delmer Eldred

Email: pulseofliberty@gorge.net