Members of the Kentucky General Assembly are seeking to enact legislation removing default “peace officer” status for most federal law-enforcement agencies in Kentucky — a major step toward protecting local police in Kentucky.
Senate Bill 115 (SB 115) is sponsored by Senator Adrienne Southworth (R-Lawrenceburg). If enacted, it would amend Kentucky’s statute listing federal law-enforcement agencies which “shall be deemed peace officers and shall have the same powers and duties of any other peace officer in the Commonwealth.”
SB 115 would remove nearly every listed federal law-enforcement agency except for the U.S. Mint Police of the Department of the Treasury. In other words, employees of every other federal agency would not be deemed “peace officers” with “the same powers and duties of any other peace officer” in Kentucky.
Of the bill, Senator Southworth tweeted on X:
If Federal law enforcement wants to operate in KY, they need respect KY jurisdiction and go through state and local law enforcement. SB 115 would remove default peace officer status for Federal law enforcement agencies.
SB 115 is important for several reasons. First, most of the agencies removed from the list — including the FBI, ATF, and DEA — are unconstitutional. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution does not grant the federal government any authority over law-enforcement matters. As reinforced by the 10th Amendment, such matters are reserved to the states and the people. Accordingly, any federal involvement in local law enforcement is not “in Pursuance” of the Constitution — and state and local officials have a duty to enforce the Constitution by nullifying such edicts. The Commonwealth of Kentucky has no business recognizing these unconstitutional agencies.
Second, local police are under attack, and there is an effort to gradually federalize law enforcement in the United States. SB 115 would ensure that law enforcement remains locally controlled and operated.
Locally controlled police are integral to a free society. When local control is diluted, accountability to local voters is also diluted, and big-government power is increased. Federal involvement in local police is dangerous; it makes the latter dependent on the former, thus allowing the federal government to insidiously take over local police departments. This is a major step toward federalized police.
Local police and county sheriffs are key to protecting citizens against tyranny — they were at the forefront of nullifying state and federal Covid/vaccine mandates, and they also have protected against state and federal gun-control measures. In countries with federalized police — such as Canada, China, and the socialist-run European countries — nothing is stopping the central government from violating people’s God-given rights.
National police are the hallmark of dictatorships and oppression around the world. The autonomy of our local police is paramount to the survival of our Republic. Accordingly, urge your state representative and senator to support SB 115 and every other measure to preserve the autonomy of local police.
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