SPOKANE, Wash. — A new Washington state law that tightens requirements for law enforcement leaders and allows the state to remove sheriffs who fail to meet those standards has been partially blocked as four eastern Washington sheriffs challenge it in court.
Senate Bill 5974 was signed into law earlier this month and establishes stricter eligibility rules for sheriffs, police chiefs and town marshals, including mandatory background checks, a minimum age of 25 and at least five years of law enforcement experience.
On Wednesday, a Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled to put part of the law on hold…