SPONSOR: Cook
Upon voter approval, this Constitutional amendment requires each county, except a county in which a sheriff is not an elected office, to elect, by a majority of the qualified voters of the county, a sheriff for a term of four years and every four years thereafter. A county in which the sheriff is not an elected office may restore the position to an elected office and the restoration will be irrevocable. The resolution specifies that an elected sheriff will be the chief law enforcement official in his or her county and it enumerates the duties of the sheriff. Any sheriff may be removed from office by the qualified voters by recall, subject to limitations specified in the resolution. A petition, signed by at least 50% of the total number of registered voters in a county, demanding the recall of a person from elected office must be filed with the county clerk, and the petition must state the reasons the recall is sought and it must not be longer than 200 words in length. The petition must be filed within 60 days of the date of the earliest signature on the petition.
This bill is similar to SJR 75 (2024).