Governor appoints commissioner to state-wide council

COLFAX — Washington State Governor Jay Inslee appointed Whitman County Commissioner Michael Largent to the statewide Forensic Investigation Council as County Legislative Authority.

Largent’s term on the Council began Oct. 12, 2023, and will end July 10, 2025.

The Council oversees the Bureau of Forensic Laboratory Services and consults with the Chief of the Washington State Patrol or a person assigned by the Chief to control the operation and establish policies for the forensic laboratory.

The council studies and recommends cost-efficient improvements to the death investigation system to report to the legislature.

Largent said he was at a Washington State Association of Counties board meeting (WASEC) when the board brought up the open position of the Forensic Council. “One member expressed interest,” Largent said, noting that the Governor wanted to have more than one name to choose from, so being a team player, he volunteered his name.

“I got a surprise letter from the Governor saying I got appointed,” Largent said.

Largent said that while he doesn’t have an extensive forensics background, the statewide council appointment is an honor and a unique opportunity.

For Largent, the opportunity to serve on a governor’s appointed Council for the first time is a chance for him to share a small town and small county viewpoint on a council that much larger counties would typically dominate.

“One of the first things I did when the Governor appointed me was to call Annie Pillars and tell her that I’d really like to work with local coroners and medical examiners with the small counties,” Largent said, noting that there are a lot of small counties that struggle to get a medical examiner.

Largent said that he finds the services the forensics investigation council provides valuable and important to all the counties. “We certainly can’t fund it all in-house, and it’s good for local law enforcement,” he said.

Largent said that while he has not been to a meeting yet, his coworker commissioners in Whitman County bought him a book, “It’s titled Forensics for Dummies,” he said, noting that it was presented to him at the last WASEC meeting.