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H0223......................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
COUNTY SHERIFF - ELECTION - Amends existing law to provide when a county
deputy sheriff or jailer has filed a declaration of candidacy for the
position of county sheriff in the same county where he or she is employed
as a county deputy or jailer and where the county sheriff has filed his or
her declaration of candidacy for reelection to the position of county
sheriff, the county deputy sheriff or jailer shall take a leave of absence
from his or her county position on the day following the last day to
declare candidacy; and to provide for reinstatement after the primary or
general election when the person is no longer a candidate for the office
against an incumbent sheriff.
02/16 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/17 Rpt prt - to St Aff
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]]
Fifty-eighth Legislature First Regular Session - 2005
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 223
BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
1 AN ACT
2 RELATING TO ELECTION OF COUNTY SHERIFFS; AMENDING SECTION 34-618, IDAHO CODE,
3 TO PROVIDE THAT WHEN A COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF OR JAILER HAS FILED A DECLA-
4 RATION OF CANDIDACY FOR THE POSITION OF COUNTY SHERIFF IN THE SAME COUNTY
5 WHERE HE OR SHE IS EMPLOYED AS A COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF OR JAILER AND WHERE
6 THE COUNTY SHERIFF HAS FILED HIS OR HER DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY FOR
7 REELECTION TO THE POSITION OF COUNTY SHERIFF, THE COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF OR
8 JAILER SHALL TAKE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM HIS OR HER COUNTY POSITION ON
9 THE DAY FOLLOWING THE LAST DAY TO DECLARE CANDIDACY AND TO PROVIDE FOR
10 REINSTATEMENT AFTER THE PRIMARY OR GENERAL ELECTION WHEN THE PERSON IS NO
11 LONGER A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE AGAINST AN INCUMBENT SHERIFF.
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
13 SECTION 1. That Section 34-618, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
14 amended to read as follows:
15 34-618. ELECTION OF COUNTY SHERIFFS -- QUALIFICATIONS. (1) At the general
16 election, 1972, and every four (4) years thereafter, a sheriff shall be
17 elected in every county.
18 (2) No person shall be elected to the office of sheriff unless he has
19 attained the age of twenty-one (21) years at the time of his election, is a
20 citizen of the United States and shall have resided within the county one (1)
21 year next preceding his election.
22 (3) Each candidate shall file his declaration of candidacy with the
23 county clerk.
24 (4) Each candidate who files a declaration of candidacy shall at the same
25 time pay a filing fee of forty dollars ($40.00) which shall be deposited in
26 the county treasury.
27 (5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, when a
28 county deputy sheriff or jailer has filed a declaration of candidacy for the
29 position of county sheriff in the same county where he or she is employed as a
30 county deputy sheriff or jailer and where the county sheriff has filed his or
31 her declaration of candidacy for reelection to the position of county sheriff,
32 the county deputy sheriff or jailer shall take a leave of absence from his or
33 her county position on the day following the last day to declare candidacy as
34 described in section 34-704, Idaho Code, until the day after the primary or
35 general election, at which time he or she shall be reinstated to his or her
36 employment at his or her former rank when the person is no longer a candidate
37 for the office against an incumbent sheriff.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 14782C2
Police agencies are quasi-military organizations. When a deputy
sheriff runs against the sheriff who is running for re-election,
discipline, confidentiality, confidence and trust break down
dramatically. The deputy is in a position to file civil rights
actions against the sheriff for any discipline issued on the
theory that the sheriff is engaging in pretextual discipline in
order to violate the deputy's free speech rights. This bill
proposes that when a deputy sheriff chooses to run against a
sheriff who is running for re-election, the deputy must take a
leave of absence from his county position until the election is
over. This bill is limited to county sheriff's deputies, and will
have no application to any other position in the state.
FISCAL NOTE
This bill will have no fiscal impact on the state general fund.
Contact
Name: Michael J. Kane, Idaho Sheriff's Association
Phone: 208-342-4545
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE H 223