Today, Jan. 9, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation filed our brief with the Washington Supreme Court in the ongoing case concerning Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commissioner Lorna Smith illegally holding two appointive positions on commissions with far-ranging power and influence.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation contends that Smith was illegally holding office on both the Jefferson County Planning Commission and the WDFW Commission. RCW 77.04.040 explicitly states that fish and wildlife commissioners cannot hold an additional elected or appointed office while serving. The statute is straightforward, and at trial the judge agreed and entered an order that required Smith to clear up the violation by resigning her post with the Jefferson County Planning Commission.
Smith resigned her position on the Jefferson County Planning Commission, but then reneged on the court settlement and has appealed the decision to the state’s highest court. She is receiving legal representation from the Attorney General’s Office.
“This has been a straightforward case from the start, but Commissioner Smith and Gov. Inslee seem to think they’re above the law and will stop at nothing to maintain their control,” said Todd Adkins, Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president of government affairs. “While the state spends tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars, the citizens are forced to hold this political cabal accountable out of their own pockets.”
Smith is an appointee of Gov. Inslee who came to the fish and wildlife commission with a background filled with an ideological bent favoring animal rights over wildlife conservation. True to her nature, she was among the driving forces behind cancellation of the spring black bear season and has long supported a shift away from consumptive uses to broad-based protectionism, especially for predators.
To help pay for ongoing work in Washington, local sportsmen will hold a fundraising event in the Blue Pavilion at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds in Centralia on Thursday, Jan. 9, starting at 5 p.m. The free event will feature food and beverages, educational speakers and updates from the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, as well as live and silent auctions with incredible gear and trips around the globe for hunters, anglers and conservationists.
Prize packages include two African safaris, a dove hunt in Argentina, a Puget Sound fishing expedition with Tom Nelson and Joey Pyburn of ESPN Radio’s “The Outdoor Line,” a fully guided duck hunt for four, a youth turkey hunt, a complete predator hunting setup, a private elk-calling class with Jason Phelps, two complete bowhunting setups and much, much more!
If you can’t make the fundraising event on Thursday, but still want to support the effort to hold Washington politicians and commissioners accountable, click here.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
