SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Amanda Roley
Well, thank you for joining me today. Deb Conklin, let's dive into it. You're running for prosecuting attorney. What made you want to run for office?
Deb Conklin
So we need a deep cultural change in this office, that the problem is not just this action or that action. The problem is the culture in the office.
Amanda Roley
You are one of three women running for prosecuting attorney and you are running against Larry Haskell. Currently, Washington State only has four women serving as county prosecutors. I mean, what do you think about that?
Deb Conklin
I think that prosecuting attorneys have the same glass ceiling that virtually every other profession has.
Amanda Roley
In the past year, it came out that Larry Haskell's wife had made racist comments. So I'd like to hear your thoughts. Do you think Larry Haskell's wife's racist comments have compromised the prosecutor's office?
Deb Conklin
Even though prosecutor Haskell claims that his office is not engaging in any sort of bias? The numbers suggest otherwise.
Amanda Roley
How do you suppose that can be improved if you're elected?
Deb Conklin
So partly, I think we need to do this training. We need to have everybody in the office and if possible, all of our law enforcement, take the training in you know, why race matters?
Amanda Roley
What is your stance on gun rights?
Deb Conklin
I believe in the Second Amendment, I've actually owned guns. I think gun ownership has a responsibility. And I think people need to take it seriously. I think we need regulations that make it so barely 18 year old, can go and buy several high-powered weapons.
Amanda Roley
That's not possible in Washington State, though.
Deb Conklin
In Washington State. But he can buy them in Texas and come to Washington State.
Amanda Roley
But you're running for a Washington State county office.
Deb Conklin
I'm just saying I think we need reasonable regulation of guns.
Amanda Roley
Okay. What would reasonable look like to you?
Deb Conklin
It would be, um, people don't need high-powered weapons.
Amanda Roley
And what does high-powered mean to you?
Deb Conklin
Assault weapons for sure.
Amanda Roley
But what is that?
Deb Conklin
I mean, that's the problem. We would have to write a law that defines it.
Amanda Roley
What will your focus be in office?
Deb Conklin
My focus will be to bring a sense of justice to the system so that when people get charged, we know that there's really the evidence there for the case and that the prosecutor's office is prepared to go to trial on that if we need to. We will have an office where people want to come to work. We've had a lot of people leaving the office over the last two years. So we'll have an office where people want to come to work and feel good about what they do.
Amanda Roley
Well, thank you so much, Deb, for sitting down with me over tea and talking through your campaign. Good luck to you.
Deb Conklin
Thank you.
To watch the full 40-minute interview, use the YouTube player below:
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