Washington State Patrol’s (WSP) decision to terminate the employment of 127 people on Tuesday for refusing to comply with Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate will end up costing the state’s taxpayers millions of dollars. For the fiscal year 2022, training costs are estimated to be about $168,000 per cadet, according to Chris Loftis, WSP communications director. Given that 74 commissioned officers—67 troopers, six sergeants, and one captain—were “separated from employment,” in WSP’s parlance, that means it would cost more than $12.4 million to replace just those law enforcement officers who were dismissed. Inslee announced the vaccine mandate for state workers in August. “Monday, October 18 was the deadline for state employees to provide proof of vaccination or receive approved exemption and accommodations for religious or medical accommodations or face separation from employment,” WSP said in a Tuesday press release. “As of the end-of-business on Monday, 127 individuals have separated …