SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 1715

             AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS,

                               FEBRUARY 19, 1992

Brief Description:  Making the office of sheriff nonpartisan.

SPONSORS:House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Rasmussen, Brumsickle, Haugen, Bowman, Dorn, Paris and Sheldon).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Madsen, and Sutherland.

Staff:  Eugene Green (786‑7405)

Hearing Dates:March 25, 1991; February 19, 1992

BACKGROUND:

The office of county sheriff is a partisan office under current law.

SUMMARY:

The office of county sheriff is to be a nonpartisan office unless the position is declared to be partisan by the county's home rule charter.  All elections for county sheriff are nonpartisan unless a county's home role charter declares the position to be partisan.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

Effective Date:  July 1, 1992

TESTIMONY FOR:

Duties of the office should have nothing to do with partisan politics; this will help attract people based on their professional qualifications.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

There are many offices that could be made nonpartisan.  Why pick on the Sheriff's Office?

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  James K. Week, Okanogan County Sheriff; Daniel LaRoche, Douglas County Sheriff; Gary Montgomery, Thurston County Sheriff; CON:  Bob Nix, Lewis County Republican Central Committee