By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
In a 5-4 ruling, the Washington State Supreme Court sided with the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation upholding a trial court opinion that Lorna Smith, a member of the state Fish & Wildlife Commission, cannot also serve on the Jefferson County Planning Commission.
The 14-page majority opinion, written by Associate Chief Justice Charles W. Johnson, notes, “We hold (state law) prohibits Commissioner Smith from simultaneously serving as a WFW commissioner and a Jefferson County planning commissioner.”
Smith is considered by many sportsmen and women in the state to be an animal rights activist, appointed to a commission whose purpose is to set fishing and hunting regulations, seasons and bag limits. She was named to the commission in 2021 by Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee, who has never been considered a friend of hunters or gun owners. He even submitted an amicus brief to the state high court supporting Smith’s claim that her dual roles are not in conflict with the law.
Joining Justice Johnson in the majority ruling were Associate Justices Sheryl Gordon McCloud, Barbara A. Madsen, Susan Owens and Debra L. Stephens.
Chief Justice Steven C. Gonzales wrote the dissenting opinion, which was joined by Justices Mary I. Yu, Raquel Montoya-Lewis and G. Helen Whitener.
Dr. Todd Adkins, senior vice president at the Sportsmen’s Alliance, issued a statement quoted by The Outdoor Wire.
“The court has spoken, and it said what we knew was true all along: Lorna Smith broke the law by simultaneously holding two appointed positions,” Adkins said. “It’s unfortunate, but not at all surprising, that it took a state supreme court decision to force Washington’s animal-extremist ideologues to obey the law. ‘Rules for thee, but not for me’ has become the status-quo in Washington, but the Sportsmen’s Alliance won’t allow the state’s sportsmen and women to be bullied into oblivion by the Fish and Wildlife Commission – or anyone else – any longer.”
Following the trial court’s verdict, Smith stepped down from the Jefferson County Planning Commission to keep her position on the Fish & Wildlife Commission. But Gov. Inslee and State Attorney General Bob Ferguson—who is now running to replace Inslee in the governor’s office—fought the ruling.
In September 2023, the Sportsmen’s Alliance issued a statement chastising the governor and attorney general’s office.
“Unfortunately, this appeal isn’t surprising the governor, Attorney General’s office and Ms. Smith seem determined to impose their will on Washington’s citizens, regardless of the rule of law and cost to taxpayers,” Adkins said at the time.
In the statement, the Alliance recalled Smith “came to the fish and wildlife commission with a background filled with an ideological bent favoring animal rights over wildlife conservation. True to her nature, she was among the driving forces behind cancellation of the spring black bear season and has long supported a shift away from consumptive uses to broad-based protectionism, especially for predators.”
Andy Walgamott, editor of Northwest Sportsman magazine, which has covered the wildlife commission’s troubles over the years, told TGM via email, “It’s aggravating that state resources had to be used to settle something so plainly obvious to even someone without a law degree. For those fighting against the overreach seen around the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in recent years, this is something of a moral victory.”
