Op-Ed: Do Not Weaken the Office of Sheriff. By Doug Traubel (12/06/24)
States around the country — including Idaho (via the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association, ISA) — are moving to weaken the Office of Sheriff. Doug Traubel explains why this is not a good idea.
In a nutshell, it boils down to:
The Sheriff is supposed to be of the people, not of the establishment.
Honoring the oath that Sheriffs and legislators take often means defending the status quo from changes built on good intentions.
Legislators must think deeper about original intent of the law and how well the existing law reflects the purpose of government (to defend God-given rights).
Leave who can become the Sheriff up to We the People − where it belongs!
Doug stated that he does not plan to run for Sheriff again:
I have no intention of running for Sheriff again. My position in opposing the ISA on this matter is not self-serving to keep the door open. It is the right thing to do to preserve the very grass roots nature of the Office of Sheriff for our posterity.
Related Idaho Law:
TITLE 34. 34-618. Election of county sheriffs — Qualifications:
