(The Center Square) – Majority party Democrats are moving ahead with a bill to expand the attorney general’s authority to investigate violations of state law.
Senate House Bill 2161 authorizes the attorney general to “issue civil investigative demands for documents, oral testimony, and answers to interrogatories when investigating possible violations of the United States Constitution, the Washington Constitution, and other specified laws,” according to the bill digest.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, ranking minority on the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee that passed the bill out of committee Friday, told The Center Square the legislation is far more dangerous than the bill text sounds.
“This is a terrible bill that would expand the attorney general’s ability to issue what is essentially a kind of warrant, involving civil cases. What this bill does, though it doesn’t say it in the language of the bill, is an attempt to expand the state agency’s ability to go after ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] that are enforcing the laws here in Washington state,” Walsh said.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Darya Farivar, D-Seattle, urged members to support the bill ahead of Friday’s committee vote.
“It’s especially important right now because the Department of Justice is no longer taking up these cases, and if they’re no longer taking up these cases, we need to make sure that Washingtonians are protected and have their rights enforced,” Farivar said.
Walsh said Republican members, who all opposed the bill, did not raise strong objections during the committee vote.
“Sometimes you want to show all your cards at the committee level, sometimes you don’t,” Walsh said, adding their caucus strongly objects to all of the bills aimed at ICE and expansion of the attorney general’s power, and plan to make their arguments during floor votes.
“This is a bill we thought would be better debated aggressively on the floor of the House and that’s because this proposal is not alone,” Walsh said. “There are several similar bills that in different ways expand the state AG’s ability to investigate and take action against federal or other government agencies.”
As reported by The Center Square, there are several bills directly dealing with ICE that are moving ahead in Olympia.
Republicans who oppose the bills have raised constitutional concerns, including conflict with the Supremacy Clause.
