PORT ANGELES — The upcoming legislative session is already raising red flags for Clallam County Sheriff Brian King, who says some early proposals could undermine accountability and strain local policing.
One of the biggest concerns is a bill that would redefine anyone under 21 as a juvenile for charging purposes — shifting all cases for 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds into juvenile court. King told Newsradio KONP’s “Todd Ortloff Show” the move would overwhelm the juvenile system and weaken public safety.
“From a public safety and accountability perspective, we keep creating this narrative that the developing brain — and the children of today — aren’t the same as the children of yesterday. But we still know that at age 12, the age of culpability, kids understand right versus wrong. This is just bad public-safety policy, and we can’t keep finding excuses for behavior,” King told KONP.
King says the change would also complicate investigations, since juveniles have expanded attorney-access requirements that already limit interviews — something he says is hurting truth-finding in serious cases.
He’s also watching a revived proposal that would require sheriff candidates to undergo a state-run background and psychological review before they could appear on the ballot. King argues it hands too much control to Olympia.
“I had some really good conversations with our 24th District legislative representatives, and I really tried to stress that this would take away the will of the voters and local control,” said King.
Other issues on King’s radar include Washington’s standing as 51st in the nation for police staffing, concerns over new data-reporting mandates, and the slow rollout of a statewide hiring incentive program that agencies still can’t access.
King says he hopes lawmakers recognize the strain on local departments and avoid adding policies that — in his words — “sound good on paper but fall apart in the real world.”
The 2026 legislative session begins January 12th.