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Cowlitz County commissioners oppose expanding noncitizen law‑enforcement hires; sheriff says state law already allows permanent residents
Summary
Commissioners voiced opposition to a state bill to permit noncitizens to serve as law‑enforcement officers and discussed options including a local resolution or code change; the sheriff told the board the basic authority for hiring permanent residents has been on the books since 2018 and outlined local hiring controls.
Cowlitz County commissioners on Tuesday debated a recently advanced state bill that would allow certain noncitizens to serve in law enforcement, with several commissioners urging local opposition and exploring whether a local resolution or code change could bar such hires.
“ I don't like it, and I don't I don't think there's pressure in our county to do it,” the chairman said during a wide-ranging discussion about the bill’s implications for public safety and local control. Commissioners repeatedly said the measure does not address underlying recruiting or retention problems for police and jail staff, and several urged the county to consider a formal local stance.
Multiple speakers raised practical and constitutional…
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