Some Democrats in Washington State are trying to eliminate the requirement for police officers and other public safety officials to be able to read and write in English.
SB 5274 seeks to "expand eligibility in certain civil service positions to allow lawful permanent residents to apply." In the current version passed by the state senate on March 8, the English language requirement is removed.
The amended version of the bill summary now reads, "Removes the requirement that applicants for certain civil service positions must be able to read and write in English."
The bill applies to applicants for the city's police force, city firefighters and the Sheriff's Office. Fish and wildlife officers are also included.
State Senator Javier Valdez (D-Seattle) was joined by ten other Democrats to sponsor the bill. The Democrat argued it would help address current job shortages and "promote diversification of Washington’s public service by encouraging and highlighting bilingualism and multilingualism."
Seattle-based conservative talk show host Jason Rantz blasted the effort as the latest move in the left's "equity agenda."
He argued the bill would hinder public safety.
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"This latest left-wing equity push neither makes sense nor serves the public. While Democrats pretend you don’t need to understand the English language, it’s a necessary requirement for these positions," he argued.
Rantz brought up practical problems that would result from this change.
"If they cannot read English as a police officer, how will they be able to understand written policies or read information from the Mobile Data Computer inside police vehicles? How do they prepare required reports if they cannot write in English?" he asked.
Calling it a "transparent attempt" to socially engineer diversity, Rantz warned it would put unqualified people in these jobs and endanger public safety.
"It puts our safety at risk. These are public safety jobs. One misunderstood policy or incorrectly completed form can harm people or lead to a criminal’s release. Is that inevitability truly worth this ridiculous attempt to force diversity?" he questioned.
SB 5274 is scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry next week.
Fox News Digital has requested comment from the office of State Senator Javier Valdez but has yet to hear back.
