Rep. Brian Burnett | Victims deserve certainty in sentencing and consequences
As a former sheriff, I spent decades standing in living rooms with families whose lives had been shattered by crime. I’ve knocked on doors no parent should ever have to answer. I’ve sat across from victims who just wanted one thing: accountability.
That is why I am deeply concerned about the direction some lawmakers are proposing this session. The phrase “Defund the Police” may have faded from activist slogans, but its spirit is alive and well in policies that continue to weaken consequences and blur accountability. It is, quite simply, a soft on crime approach.
Take House Bill 1110. It creates a pathway to vacate DUI convictions after a period of time. DUI is not a paperwork offense. It is one of the leading causes of preventable death on our roads. Over the past decade, the Legislature has worked to strengthen impaired driving laws. Now we are considering removing those convictions from criminal and driving records. That sends the wrong message to victims and to families who have lost loved ones.
House Bill 1229 expands resentencing for repeat robbery offenders. Robbery is not shoplifting. It involves force, violence, or fear. This bill would reopen sentences imposed under the law at the time and require courts to resentence certain individuals who previously faced persistent offender consequences. At some point, sentences must mean something. Victims deserve finality.
House Bill 1239 increases earned early release time to up to one-third of a sentence for eligible offenses, including enhancements tied to firearms and impaired driving. When a judge announces a sentence, victims believe that sentence represents accountability. Expanding early release by this magnitude reduces certainty and diminishes the weight of sentencing.
And then there is House Bill 2526. This bill addresses prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation. I have seen firsthand the damage caused by human trafficking and exploitation. Buyers fuel that market. While the original proposal aimed to strengthen accountability, amendments shifted the approach. The bill mandates referrals instead of arrest for first and second contacts and restructures enforcement in ways that reduce law enforcement’s ability to intervene early and decisively.
We should absolutely provide services to survivors. We should absolutely hold traffickers accountable. But we cannot lose sight of deterrence. When policies consistently move in the direction of lighter consequences, earlier release, erased records, and reduced enforcement leverage, the cumulative effect matters.
Public safety is not theoretical. It is not academic. It is the difference between a child coming home safely and a deputy making a late-night notification.
I became a legislator to stand with victims, not to experiment with policies that weaken accountability. I will continue fighting tooth and nail to protect the citizens of this district, to ensure sentences carry weight, and to make sure our criminal justice system prioritizes safety over ideology.
We can pursue compassion and accountability at the same time. What we cannot afford is a soft on crime approach that leaves families wondering whether anyone is still watching out for them.
(Rep. Brian Burnett, R-Wenatchee, is a former Chelan County Sheriff and has law enforcement career that has spanned over 25 years.)
