Idaho sheriff takes aim at WA ahead of July 4 holiday travel
Jul 3, 2023, 11:10 AM | Updated: 5:20 pm
Kootenai County Sheriff vehicle. (Photo courtesy of Kootenai County Sheriff's Office)
(Photo courtesy of Kootenai County Sheriff's Office)
said in a statement that Washington residents — and criminals — planning to visit Idaho during the upcoming holiday weekend need to stay in line.
“Don’t come to Kootenai County on vacation and leave on probation,” the sheriff stated, according to a .
It’s a sentiment the county has shared . Norris, a law enforcement veteran of nearly 40 years, has served as the county’s sheriff since 2021.
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Norris reminded people of the differences in the laws between the states, including how controlled substances, like marijuana, are still illegal in Idaho.
“In the past, the Kootenai County Jail has seen a disproportionate number of jail bookings from our neighbors to the west,” Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office’s press release continued. “Sheriff Robert ‘Bob’ Norris welcomes our law-abiding neighbors, however, states that ‘controlled substance’ laws are very different in Idaho than Washington. Fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine are serious felonies in Idaho and one will go to jail or prison. Marijuana is also against the law and is prohibited. Unlike Washington, Idaho law does not restrict Kootenai County Law Enforcement from enforcing the law and taking violators directly to the Kootenai County ‘Bed and Breakfast,’ our county jail.”
While Kootenai County ranks 23rd out of the state’s 44 counties in terms of , the county has previously cracked the top 10 in the state within the last decade. County deputies have that visitors, especially those from Spokane, deserve part of the blame.
The press release even went as far to say: “If one chooses to possess controlled substances or engage in any criminal behavior, Seattle, Spokane, and the entire state of Washington is a wonderful place to enjoy July Fourth celebrations.”
Last year, Norris blamed Washington’s laws on drug possession and restrictions on police pursuits as a primary reason for an increase in crime — specifically charges related to fentanyl — wreaking havoc on North Idaho in a town hall the Kootenai County Sheriff鈥檚 Office hosted. More than 100 people participated in the town hall.
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鈥淲e don鈥檛 want Spokane鈥檚 criminals over here,鈥� Lt. Mark Ellis said at last year’s meeting. 鈥淣ot at all.鈥�
Tangentially, out-of-state abortions in Washington have risen by 36% in 2023 since the ruling last year, with a significant reason for the jump coming from restriction to abortions in neighboring states, primarily Idaho.聽According to Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, the number of abortion patients traveling from neighboring Idaho has risen by 56%.
In聽a letter sent April 4, Washington Governor Jay Inslee asked Idaho Governor Brad Little to veto (HB 242), a bill that would make it illegal for any person to help an Idaho minor get an abortion in another state — even if abortion is legal in that state, like Washington.
Little took time to respond to Inslee’s request with a statement a few weeks after the bill passed on a 27-7 vote in the Senate.
“It is hard to imagine why someone would leave Idaho for Washington when your state is home to sky-high taxes, crime, and public encampments,” Little wrote in April. “Meanwhile, Idaho has turned back more tax relief per capita than any other state, we鈥檙e one of the safest states in the nation, and we don鈥檛 back down to activists 鈥� we kick illegal public encampments off public property.”
