By Madeline Coats
WNPA Olympia News Bureau
The state attorney general has stepped in with a warning to more than half the state’s county law enforcement officials who say they refuse to fully enforce the gun control measures voters approved in November.
Police chiefs and sheriffs will be held liable if they refuse to perform background checks required by I-1639, said Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Tuesday in an open letter to the law enforcement officers who oppose the measure.
“I will defend Initiative 1639 against any challenge,” wrote Ferguson. “My office defeated the legal challenge to the previous gun safety initiative passed by the people, and I am confident we will defeat any constitutional challenge to Initiative 1639 as well.
“Local law enforcement are entitled to their opinions about the constitutionality of any law, but those personal views do not absolve us of our duty to enforce Washington laws and protect the public,” he said.
The Washington State Sheriffs Association issued a statement on their website last week regarding their public opposition of I-1639. They expressed concerns about rights protected by the Second Amendment. Law enforcement officials in at least 21 of Washington’s 39 counties have said they will not actively enforce the measure.