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Bill would require voter approval to abolish county police departments after voters create them
Summary
Representative Clifton said HB 309 would change the process for abolishing county police departments so that abolition would require the same citizen referendum used to create them; currently commissioners alone can abolish a department.
Representative Clifton described House Bill 309 as changing the procedure counties use to dissolve police departments. Currently, Clifton said, county commissioners may create a police department and the creation is subject to a citizens’ vote; under HB 309 the dissolution process would mirror creation, meaning abolition would go to a citizens’ vote rather than being decided solely by the commissioners.
“Therefore, if after the commissioners vote for it, it would go back to the citizens for a simple vote,” Clifton said.
No further questions were recorded in the excerpt. The transcript later shows HB 309 was presented during the same session but the excerpt does not include a separate committee motion or roll call specific to HB 309.
