VIDEO | Washington state’s 800 Kings? Rep. Joshua Penner challenges lack of accountability in Senate Bill 5925 investigative powers (Amendment 2151)

March 6, 2026

Rep. Joshua Penner, R-Orting, delivered a focused critique regarding the lack of oversight in Senate Bill 5925 on the House floor. Penner expressed deep concern that the legislation, as written, delegates the “immense” power of civil investigative demands to hundreds of individual attorneys without requiring direct authorization from the elected Attorney General.

Penner strongly advocated for Amendment 2151, which would have required the Attorney General to personally approve each demand in writing. He argued that vesting the power to compel testimony and documents in 800 different attorneys across 27 legal divisions creates a significant risk for error. Penner noted that even a small percentage of mistakes by such a large group could result in devastating economic and personal consequences for Washington residents and businesses.

Drawing on his military background, Penner spoke on the concept of “escalation of force,” suggesting that broad investigative authority should be carefully concentrated to ensure accountability. He questioned why the legislature would effectively create “800 kings” by allowing subordinates to exercise these powers independently. Although he argued that the amendment was necessary to provide a check on the Attorney General’s Office, the House did not adopt the proposal.