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Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Washington Legislature. Austin Jenkins is the Olympia correspondent for the Northwest News Network. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) weekly public affairs program "Inside Olympia."

King County Prosecutor Wants To Make Office Non-Partisan

TVW
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg wants to make his office nonpartisan. The Republican said he will ask the county council to send a charter amendment to voters this fall.

“It’s not for some political advantage for me, I’m not worried about that,” Satterberg said. “I think it makes the office mission much more clear. We’re not here fighting for some party platform. Politics has no role in the prosecutor’s office and so to advertise that it does I think is misleading and undermines our mission.”

Satterberg said he’s the only King County official who runs as a partisan. The county executive, council, assessor, elections director and sheriff are all elected on a nonpartisan basis.

There is currently an ordinance proposal in committee to make the prosecutor a nonpartisan position, but it has yet to have a hearing. Prior efforts to change state law to make all prosecutor offices nonpartisan have failed.

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Satterberg spoke with Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins on TVW’s “Inside Olympia” program.

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."