Author Archives: Laudan

Fortunato Gets Jump Start on Trump’s Deportation Plan

Amid impending federal changes to immigration policy, state Senator Phil Fortunato is reintroducing legislation to protect Washingtonians by removing violent criminals who are in the state illegally. Senate Bill 5002 aims to repeal Washington’s sanctuary status and remove barriers that currently shield violent offenders from being apprehended by federal authorities.

In 2019, Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order that prohibited certain state agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. This executive order laid the foundation for Washington becoming one of 11 “sanctuary states” after the passage of Senate Bill 5497. This policy has led to troubling incidents, including high-profile crimes committed by individuals in the state illegally. Just this past October, a Des Moines teen was brutally murdered by two undocumented immigrants with lengthy criminal records. They’d be shielded from deportation under current state law.

“While we can’t change federal immigration law, we can take action to ensure that violent criminals in Washington illegally are removed from our streets,” said Fortunato, R-Auburn. “The safety of Washington residents should always come first. We cannot continue to allow dangerous criminals to evade deportation due to sanctuary policies that shield them from federal law enforcement. Our courts and law enforcement should be working with federal authorities to remove these threats, not offering protection.”

The reintroduced bill aims to close dangerous loopholes by repealing sanctuary state laws and administrative policies that limit cooperation between state law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. This includes eliminating policies that prohibit arrests of unauthorized migrants at court facilities and administrative guidance from the state Attorney General designed to limit immigration enforcement.

“…The Legislature further finds that immigrant communities are often the most victimized by illegal immigration and that criminal organizations involved in illegal immigration disproportionally target immigrant communities with criminal activity and flagrant abuses of human rights…” notes the legislation’s intent section.

Fortunato emphasized that the issue is about public safety, not immigration. “It’s time to stop conflating the discussion about illegal immigration with the need to remove dangerous criminals from our communities. Washington can no longer afford to be a sanctuary state—especially with the growing number of unauthorized migrants entering the country. The stakes are too high.”

Senator Fortunato’s legislation is a response to the escalating challenges posed by Washington’s sanctuary policies, which have allowed violent criminals to evade justice and continue to pose a threat to public safety. With federal immigration changes on the horizon, the need for Washington to reassess its sanctuary stance has never been more urgent.

Big day in Olympia

Greetings from Olympia,

Today is the last day of the 2024 legislative session and it’s been eventful to say the least. As I mentioned in my last e-newsletter, the legislative majority finally listened to the people, kind of. Of the historic 6 initiatives to the Legislature, they decided to hold public hearings on 3 of them and the turnout was incredible with overwhelming numbers of people signing up in favor of banning an income tax, allowing police to pursue suspected criminals and enshrining in law a parent’s rights to be involved in their children’s education.

There are still 3 other initiatives that will go straight to the November ballot. Those policies are arguably most damaging that they represent billions of dollars of new taxes and regulations. You can read more about all of the initiatives below.

I voted in support of the measures that came to the Senate floor.

Once the final budgets are approved, I’ll send another update outlining what’s changed in state spending and other notable legislation that will soon become law.

Phil Fortunato

We can’t afford to be a sanctuary state anymore

I introduced Senate Bill 6320 that would repeal Washington’s sanctuary status and other laws that have shielded violent criminals in the state illegally, including administrative barriers at courthouses, prohibiting arrests of unauthorized migrants at court facilities, and model policies developed by the state Attorney General aimed at, “limiting immigration enforcement to the fullest extent possible consistent with federal and state law…”

“The impacts of illegal immigration in our state were bad enough when Democrats pushed to make Washington a sanctuary state. Proponents continue to conflate the issue and try to pigeonhole anyone who is opposed to illegal immigration as anti-immigrant. It’s nonsense. With the influx of millions of new unauthorized migrants and our state’s well-known status, the reality is that we can’t afford to be a sanctuary state anymore.”

Housing Affordability?

I continue to serve as the ranking member on the Senate Housing Committee. For years, I’ve been pushing innovative policies that harness what our state is already doing to make a dent in the housing affordability crisis which is almost entirely government-imposed.

Starting in 1994 with the Growth Management Act and continuing almost unchecked for the past several years, the legislative majority has been doing everything it can to make housing more and more unaffordable. Ever-increasing regulations and taxes on the production of housing have continued to increase costs, making the homes that are available unaffordable to most families.

A recent study indicated that the state’s regulatory and tax burden increases the cost of building a new, average home by over $130,000. That’s over $935/ month at current interest rates. That means you have to make almost $4000/month in income just to pay for government. That doesn’t bode well for working families in need of housing security and I fear that without home ownership the legislature will create a permanent underclass of renters instead of homeowners.

Why isn’t anyone talking about the meteoric increase in property taxes? According to data from the State Auditor, property tax growth was 23% over the past 4 years. Do policymakers think that has no impact on housing costs? It does. This session the Republicans were able to block the Democratic majority’s attempt to increase property taxes by another $6 billion. Rest assured they will try again next year.

There are more productive and impactful policies the state should be pursuing to help housing in our state, and it starts with getting government out of the way.

Initiatives to the Legislature

Over 2.5 million signatures have been gathered for six initiatives to the Legislature that would reexamine various policies that have been forced on working families.

Since many of the underlying laws were passed, I’ve heard from constituents about the hardships they’re causing. It’s fitting that the people will get to have a say in the upcoming November election. Here are what the six initiatives would do.

Six Initiatives to the Legislature in 2024

Initiative 2081 – PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS (PASSED). I-2081 would create greater government transparency and require schools and health-care providers to inform parents or legal guardians of services provided to a minor child.
Initiative 2111 – BAN A PERSONAL INCOME TAX (PASSED). I-2111 would ban a personal income tax in Washington. The people have said no to an income tax 11 straight times.
Initiative 2113 – REASONABLE POLICE PURSUIT (PASSED). I-2113 is aimed at restoring reasonable police pursuits of criminals and suspects. I-2113 gives the Legislature the chance to restore officers’ ability to protect communities by pursuing suspects.
Initiative 2117 – ELIMINATE THE 50 CENT GAS TAX. I-2117 would repeal the nearly 50-cent/gallon gas tax created because of the Washington Climate Commitment Act, also known as cap-and-tax. The program has brought $1.8 billion into government but has done little to nothing to help the environment. It functions as a hidden gas tax, with no support for our roads.
Initiative 2109 – REPEAL THE CAPITAL GAINS INCOME TAX. I-2109 would save jobs at family businesses by repealing the capital gains income tax.
Initiative 2124 – END MANDATORY PAYROLL TAX. I-2124 would give Washingtonians the choice not to participate in the state’s so-called “long-term care” benefit, which is funded through a mandatory payroll tax. This initiative would give Washington workers the choice to opt out of this program if it does not work for them and their families.

I know this is a lot to digest and just a snippet of what I’m working on as your state senator. Please click here for more information about the initiatives.

Future leaders working in Olympia

Holly Khademi, a homeschooled 9th grader from Redmond, recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Khademi was one of 21 students who served in the Senate during the sixth week of the 2024 legislative session.

I was honored to sponsor Holly for this opportunity. She did an excellent job helping me during her time in the state Senate and I hope she enjoyed learning about the legislative process firsthand.

Holly said that she was interested in law and politics which is why she wanted to go into the program. She also stated that she enjoyed learning in page school more about the process and other legislative business that she got to experience firsthand. Her favorite part was the mock trial and being able to tie in her passions for her speech and debate in a realistic way.

Holly, 14, is very passionate about speech and debate which she has been doing with her school for the past two years. She also loves to write, draw, study philosophy, and Volunteer at her church.

Initiatives to the Legislature

No updates to this page will occur after March 7 until after the election in November.

Fed up with destructive and burdensome policies pushed by the Democratic majority, citizens from around the state collected more than 2 million signatures to submit a historic 6 initiatives to the Legislature. All six received more than 400,000 signatures each and were certified by the Washington State Secretary of State in January and February of 2024.

The majority had initially refused to allow for any public hearings, but after the public pushed back, they announced they would grant hearings on 3 of the initiatives. In the final days of the session, the Legislature passed I-2081, which supports parental rights in education, I-2111, which bans an income tax in Washington State, and I-2113, which restores law enforcement’s ability to pursue suspected criminals.

The 3 remaining initiatives will go before voters in the November election. You can find out more about the remaining initiatives by clicking on the linked images below.

Fortunato introduces updated immigration cooperation bill amid border crisis

Amid a national frenzy over immigration during the Trump administration, Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order that barred cooperation with federal immigration authorities for certain state agencies. Washington then became one of 11 “sanctuary states” with the passage of Senate Bill 5497 in 2019.

That same year, Washington was rocked by high-profile crimes committed by illegal aliens, including the murder of a police officer in rural Kittitas County during the 2019 legislative session and the brutal rape of a disabled woman in King County, whose assailant was released due to the state’s sanctuary policy.

After meeting with victims and federal immigration authorities, state Sen. Phil Fortunato introduced legislation in 2020 to close the dangerous loopholes in state law and pushed Inslee and King County leaders to act.

Fortunato, the son of Italian immigrants, has contended, “We can’t do anything about illegal immigration since that is a federal issue, but we can do something about illegal criminals in our jails.”

Now, he’s introduced Senate Bill 6320 that would repeal Washington’s sanctuary status and other laws that have shielded violent criminals in the state illegally, including administrative barriers at courthouses, prohibiting arrests of unauthorized migrants at court facilities, and model policies developed by the state Attorney General aimed at, “limiting immigration enforcement to the fullest extent possible consistent with federal and state law…”

“The impacts of illegal immigration in our state were bad enough when Democrats pushed to make Washington a sanctuary state,” said Fortunato, R-Auburn. “Proponents continue to conflate the issue and try to pigeonhole anyone who is opposed to illegal immigration as anti-immigrant. It’s nonsense. With the influx of millions of new unauthorized migrants and our state’s well-known status, the reality is that we can’t afford to be a sanctuary state anymore.”

Fortunato notes that not only is Washington’s policy a public-safety problem, but the financial costs are also adding up.

“We just had reports that the state gave hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to illegal aliens during the COVID-19 spending spree,” Fortunato said. “There’s no accountability and that’s the problem. If violent criminals are intersecting with state courts and law enforcement, we should be doing everything we can to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to get them off our streets, not giving them taxpayer money and shielding them from deportation.”

What’s happening in your state legislature?

Greetings from Olympia,

There are just a couple of weeks left in the 2024 legislative session and it’s moving at a break-neck speed. I’d like to think that the state Legislature has convened to address some of the most pressing issues facing our state. Communities are still reeling from bad public-safety policies, while housing, food, fuel and everything else is only getting more expensive. So, what is the plan for legislative Democrats in charge? You guessed it, double-down on costly regulations and new taxes in addition to hundreds of other bills that won’t have a positive impact on the lives of families our in state.

We have the resources to invest in our students, to make Washington affordable and give the public deserved relief from government-imposed price hikes. In fact, citizens have told the Legislature through six initiatives that they want us to act. Unfortunately, those initiatives don’t look like they’ll even get a public hearing. Under our state constitution, initiatives to the Legislature must take precedence over other business, but the majority is focused on letting felons vote from prison, allowing high-risk sex offenders to end state supervision, banning natural gas, and setting up a $6 billion property tax increase. Talk about priorities.

It’s an honor to serve as your state senator.

Phil Fortunato

Initiatives to the Legislature

Over 2.5 million signatures have been gathered for six initiatives to the Legislature that would reexamine various policies that have been forced on working families. Since many of the underlying laws were passed, I’ve heard from constituents about the hardships they’re causing. It’s fitting that the people will get to have a say in the upcoming November election. Here are what the six initiatives would do.

Six Initiatives to the Legislature in 2024

Initiative 2113 – REASONABLE POLICE PURSUIT. I-2113 is aimed at restoring reasonable police pursuits of criminals and suspects. I-2113 gives the Legislature the chance to restore officers’ ability to protect communities by pursuing suspects.
Initiative 2117 – ELIMINATE THE 50 CENT GAS TAX. I-2117 would repeal the nearly 50 cent/gallon gas tax created because of the Washington Climate Commitment Act, also known as cap-and-tax. The program has brought $1.8 billion into government but has done little to nothing to help the environment. It functions as a hidden gas tax, with no support for our roads.
Initiative 2081 – PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS. I-2081 would create greater government transparency and require schools and health-care providers to inform parents or legal guardians of services provided to a minor child.
Initiative 2109 – REPEAL THE CAPITAL GAINS INCOME TAX. I-2109 would save jobs at family businesses by repealing the capital gains income tax.
Initiative 2111 – BAN A PERSONAL INCOME TAX. I-2111 would ban a personal income tax in Washington. The people have said no to an income tax 11 straight times.
Initiative 2124 – END MANDATORY PAYROLL TAX. I-2124 would give Washingtonians the choice not to participate in the state’s so-called “long-term care” benefit, which is funded through a mandatory payroll tax. This initiative would give Washington workers the choice to opt out of this program if it does not work for them and their family.

I know this is a lot to digest and just a snippet of what I’m working on as your state senator. Please click here for more information about the initiatives.

Make your voice heard

We recently received good news that 3 of the initiatives will be getting public hearings soon. I encourage you to let the Legislature know your thoughts. You can sign-in to provide comment, testify or just have your position supporting or opposing on the record. Please follow the links to sign-up.

Click here to sign in about Initiative 2111 – BAN A PERSONAL INCOME TAX

Public hearing begins at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Click here to sign in about Initiative 2081 – PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS

Public hearing begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Committee.

Click here to sign in about Initiative 2113 – REASONABLE POLICE PURSUIT

Public hearing begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, in the Senate Law & Justice Committee.

Legislature fails domestic violence survivors

Earlier in the 2024 legislative session, I held a news conference with domestic violence survivors and advocates outlining stark problems in the state’s family courts and proposals I sponsored to fix them. The package of bills aimed to train judges, provide more protections for abuse victims – mostly women and children – and set improved standards for evidence and procedures in family court.

One of the bills, Senate Bill 5879, known as Kayden’s Law, would make Washington eligible for substantial federal funding to train judges and restrict unproven, unsafe “reunification” treatments that force children to be with a dangerous parent and/or parents with whom they resist contact.

At the time, Democratic leaders were disinterested in advancing Kayden’s Law or other proposals, indicating that legislation in the House was going to be a vehicle to address concerns of domestic violence survivors, but it never happened. Last Tuesday was the final cutoff for bills to receive a floor vote and not only did majority Democrats fail to support any of my solutions, but their own “reform” bill never came to a vote.

It’s really incredible that the party that purports to be about protecting women has failed so miserably on this issue. I was willing to entertain working with the House and Democrats, in particular, to get the policy done because what’s happening now is frankly disgusting. The state’s family courts are making women with children homeless, plain and simple. While they’re focused on raising taxes or letting criminals out, we have innocent people suffering.

Click here to read more.

Nanny state environmentalism

Washington purports to be leading the way when it comes to protecting our environment. The only problem is that Olympia’s answer to most problems is more government and higher costs. Just look at the carbon-pricing scheme that has driven up gas prices by nearly 50 cents per gallon. The reality is that Washington has missed every single climate goal while simultaneously imposing nonsensical regulations and taxes on consumers.

What are we even doing? The state wants to go as far as banning gas-powered lawn equipment and recently passed a Senate proposal to restrict the kinds of tires people can buy due to the types of chemicals used in them. In my real job I work extensively with the Department of Ecology on water quality issues and understand the effects of the specific chemical, 6PPD, has on salmon.

Rather than require a state agency to implement more regulations and increase costs to consumers, we can simply enhance organic material buffers along the roadsides in the most affected areas to trap tire particles and prevent them from entering stormwater. Since 6PPD breaks down in ultraviolet, eastern Washington does not have the same problems that we have on this side of the mountains. The answer is more often than not simple, sustainable actions that don’t require more of your hard-earned tax dollars.

Legislature fails domestic violence survivors, no path forward for needed reforms

Earlier in the 2024 legislative session, Sen. Phil Fortunato, domestic violence survivors and advocates held a news conference outlining stark problems in the state’s family courts. The package of bills aimed to train judges, provide more protections for abuse victims – mostly women and children – and set improved standards for evidence and procedures in family court.

At the time, Democratic leaders were disinterested in advancing Kayden’s Law or other proposals, indicating that legislation in the House was going to be a vehicle to address concerns of domestic violence survivors, but it never happened. This past Tuesday was the final cutoff for bills to receive a floor vote and not only did majority Democrats fail to support any solutions by Fortunato, but their own “reform” bill never came to a vote.

“It’s really incredible that the party that purports to be about protecting women has failed so miserably on this issue,” Fortunato exclaimed. “I was willing to entertain working with the House and Democrats in particular to get the policy done because what’s happening now is frankly disgusting. The state’s family courts are making women with children homeless, plain and simple. While they’re focused on raising taxes or letting criminals out, we have innocent people suffering.”

National experts voiced their support of Fortunato’s efforts.

“Keeping children safe from family violence is a nonpartisan matter, and the provisions within Kayden’s Law are common-sense solutions to some of the most intransigent problems in family courts,” said Danielle Pollack, policy manager of the National Family Violence Law Center at George Washington University, who helped author the landmark federal legislation, Kayden’s Law, part of the 2022 Violence Against Women Act. “I hope that Washington state lawmakers will come together and take this opportunity to be national leaders on the issue, as Colorado has just done, and as many other states around the U.S. are moving toward.”

The crux of the issue in Fortunato’s family court reform is the tension between granting judges even more discretion and the outcomes for vulnerable people who are unable to appeal dangerous decisions from the bench. While survivors, national experts, and advocates wanted to provide more training and financial resources, professional associations and special interests worked behind the scenes to promote their agenda of more discretion.

“At the end of the day, you have powerful interests in the Legislature that care more about what lawyers want than the safety of our children and victims of domestic abuse,” said Fortunato. “I’m not done fighting on this issue and won’t rest until we get some serious reforms through because everyday tragedies are playing out in family court.”

The parents of Susan Powell, Chuck and Judy Cox, joined the news conference to lend their support to Kayden’s Law. Their grandchildren and daughter were victims of a tragic domestic violence dispute that resulted in the murder of the children by their abusive father. The Coxes won a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the state of Washington for negligence resulting from the kinds of failings in family courts that Fortunato’s proposals would address.

“I believe that had we had something like Kayden’s Law, things would be very different for our family,” said Chuck Cox. “Judges need to be trained properly.”

Fortunato’s other proposals included:

Senate Bill 5859 would study the court system to see if it’s working for families and what the impact is of having separate judges involved in various aspects of divorce proceedings;
Senate Bill 5861, called the Survivors and Families Empowerment Act, would put in place comprehensive reforms to evidence rules, enforcement of child support, and training for court staff;
Senate Bill 5863 would prohibit certain accounts from being reported to credit bureaus that result from a divorce; and
Senate Bill 5868 would require the administrative office of the courts to update the family-law handbook annually and would include more resources for people interacting with the system. The book hasn’t been updated since 2015.

Senators denounce bill to raise property taxes – vote expected Thursday

The Washington Senate is poised to approve a bill Thursday that would allow the annual growth in property taxes to triple, flouting the will of Washington voters who approved a cap on property taxes in 2001.

Republican senators say they plan to raise stiff opposition when the bill comes to the floor – but may lack the votes to head off Senate Bill 5770. The measure would raise the current 1 percent cap on annual growth in property taxes without voter approval to 3 percent. Taxes could increase by as much as $6 billion over the next 12 years, and would keep compounding from there.

The measure is sponsored by Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, and co-sponsored by 18 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus. The measure was approved Feb. 5 by the Senate Ways and Means Committee on a Democrat-only vote. It currently is expected to reach the Senate floor for a vote sometime Thursday.

The Republican senators who comprise the Senate Freedom Caucus say the measure calls for the proverbial line in the sand. The four lawmakers, concerned primarily with issues of constitutional freedoms and political process, point out that Washington voters approved the 1 percent cap with Initiative 747 in 2001. When the state Supreme Court threw out the initiative in 2007 for technical reasons, the Legislature promptly convened a special session to reenact the limit.

The four lawmakers say the bill is based on false premises. “Increases in local property taxes are far outstripping the growth in personal income,” said Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn. “Cities have been reaping a huge bonus from the growth of construction. Of course they want more money – but let’s put the people first for a change.”

“The Legislature of 17 years ago was far more interested in the will of the people than the Democratic majority in charge today,” said Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview. “Today’s leadership puts the desires of government first. As the result of policies enacted by the current majority, gas prices are going up, electric bills are going up, and groceries are costing more by the day. Now our friends are about to unleash higher property taxes on the populace. Where will this end?”

Said Sen. Jim McCune, R-Graham, “Property taxes in my area are high already. People are living paycheck to paycheck, and there has been no increase in salary since COVID hit. Allowing massive increases in property taxes without voter approval would do great damage to property owners in my district, to renters who would pay higher rent – to everyone.”

Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, said higher property taxes will increase the squeeze on people of moderate and fixed incomes.

“In the middle of an affordable housing crisis, and at a time when senior citizens and the disabled are worried about being taxed out of their own homes, the Senate is about to consider a bill that would allow property taxes to skyrocket,” he said. “It is the height of irresponsibility for the Legislature to be considering a bill like this one – the wrong bill at the wrong time.”

Fortunato, local and national advocates push family court reforms

Flanked by victims and advocates at a news conference in Olympia on Thursday, state Sen. Phil Fortunato outlined his vision to reform the state’s failing family courts. Included in the package are bills aimed at training judges, providing more protections for abuse victims – mostly women and children – and setting improved standards for evidence and procedures in family court.

One of the bills, Senate Bill 5879, known as Kayden’s Law, which has a companion bill in the House, would make Washington eligible for substantial federal funding to train judges and restrict unproven, unsafe “reunification” treatments that force children to be with a dangerous parent and/or parent with whom they resist contact.

Fortunato’s other proposals include:

Senate Bill 5859 would study the court system to see if it’s working for families and what the impact is for having separate judges involved in various aspects of divorce proceedings;
Senate Bill 5861, called the Survivors and Families Empowerment Act, would put in place comprehensive reforms to evidence rules, enforcement of child support, and training for court staff;
Senate Bill 5863 would prohibit certain accounts from being reported to credit bureaus that result from a divorce; and
Senate Bill 5868 would require the administrative office of the courts to update the family-law handbook annually and would include more resources for people interacting with the system. The book hasn’t been updated since 2015.

“At the end of the day, this is a no-brainer. I understand it’s a short session, but this is one of those kinds of laws that we must do on so many levels,” said Fortunato, R-Auburn. “Not doing these reforms and passing the congressionally enacted Kayden’s Law provisions in Washington state is putting lives at risk and it’s preventable. We can and need to get this across the finish line this year.”

Danielle Pollack, policy manager of the National Family Violence Law Center at George Washington University, helped author the landmark federal legislation, Kayden’s Law, part of the 2022 Violence Against Women Act. She joined Fortunato and local advocates to urge a hearing on the proposal, which has been recognized by United Nations experts as a model for protecting women and children in domestic violence situations in the family court context.

To date, Kayden’s Law is not scheduled for a public hearing, putting hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding at risk, and even worse, maintaining the status quo where children are too often being court-ordered into the custody and control of an abuser parent – and then being harmed, and sometimes killed.

“Keeping children safe from family violence is a nonpartisan matter, and the provisions within Kayden’s Law are common-sense solutions to some of the most intransigent problems in family courts,” said Pollack. “I hope that Washington state lawmakers will come together and take this opportunity to be national leaders on the issue, as Colorado has just done, and as many other states around the U.S. are moving toward.”

Survivors of domestic violence and advocates shared their stories and how the proposals would make a meaningful difference in protecting women and children.

The parents of Susan Powell, Chuck and Judy Cox, joined the news conference to lend their support of Kayden’s Law. Their grandchildren and daughter were victims of a tragic domestic violence dispute that resulted in the murder of the children by their abusive father. The Coxes recently won a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Washington state for negligence resulting from the kinds of failings in family courts that Fortunato’s proposals would address.

“I believe that had we had something like Kayden’s Law, things would be very different for our family,” said Chuck Cox. “Judges need to be trained properly.”

Local survivor-turned-victims-advocate Dana Tingey has been working with lawmakers and other stakeholders to make Kayden’s Law and other needed reforms a reality. Having helped over 300 victims, Tingey sees firsthand the deficiencies and tragic outcomes. She started High Ground Divorces to coach and support other survivors through the family court maze.

“I lived through family court, and I never would have imagined how bad it is,” Tingey explained. “Most judges and court professionals whose opinion matters in these cases, such as custody evaluators, have no evidence-based training, no idea how to recognize patterns of power and control, no idea who is the abusive party. Add to that, bias and unscientific theories being used to minimize abuse evidence and you have a recipe for disaster. Kayden’s Law could fix so much of what is wrong in our family courts.”

Another survivor and advocate, Shira Cole started the organization People Advancing Youth Equity and Safety (PAYES) to advocate for children in the courts. She said of the efforts, “Survivors of domestic violence know very well how dysfunctional family court is. Kayden’s Law focuses light on the troubling tendencies to dismiss allegations of abuse, punish the survivor, and even place children in the custody of an abuser.”

The 2024 legislative session is only 60 days, and the first deadline is fast approaching. Kayden’s Law was referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee, which must act by Jan. 31 for it to have a chance at passing the Legislature and reaching the governor’s desk.

Fortunato bill would establish biology-based rules for school sports competitions

State Sen. Phil Fortunato is seeking to create a middle path that protects biological women in sports while allowing transgender athletes to continue competing. Senate Bill 6116 would do away with women’s and men’s sports, instead relying on biological sex to determine how athletes compete in schools.

“This is about fairness and equity in sports competitions,” said Fortunato, R-Auburn. “While athletes identifying as a different gender and competing has become a prominent issue in sports, the reality is that there are undeniable biological differences between the sexes that must be accounted for.”

According to the bill, people born with an XX designation would compete with others who have XX chromosomes and identify as female. Similarly, those with XY chromosomes at birth would compete against other XY contestants identifying as male. Those with an identity that differs from their biological sex would still be able to compete with other athletes who have the same biological and sociological expressions.

In December of last year, the University of Washington drew criticism from national activists after purportedly offering a scholarship to a girls’ volleyball player from California who turned out to have been born male. Reports indicate the university has since rescinded the offer.

“We can balance the desire of athletes whose biological sex doesn’t match their expression while keeping school sports fair and safe,” Fortunato said. “This bill has nothing to do with excluding people, rather it’s about creating an even playing field that reflects biological reality.”

In addition to reorganizing interscholastic sports programs, the bill would establish protections for students, schools, and organizations overseeing school-based athletics to shield them from retaliation or complaints. Under Fortunato’s proposal, sports programs for children in grades K-6 would be exempt from these requirements.

It’s almost time for the 2024 legislative session

Friends,
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I’ve been busy preparing for the 2024 legislative session which begins in just under a week. In preparation, I finished the year strong, meeting with constituents in our district and attending a variety of conferences and workshops to help me better represent you in Olympia.

During the last week of November, the Senate met at the state Capitol to hold committee hearings where we can get a sense of what the Legislature will be working on during this short, 60-day session.

I continue to serve as the Ranking member on the Senate’s housing-related committee, on the State Government and Elections Committee and the Transportation Committee.

Staying engaged in your state government is critical and I’m here to be a resource. At the end of this newsletter, you’ll find additional links to help you participate in the legislative process.

It’s an honor to serve as your state Senator.

Phil Fortunato

Trust the science

Opponents of the state’s carbon pricing scheme were clear that this policy would drive up fuel costs at the pump at a time when Washingtonians could least afford it. The governor and legislative Democrats argued that any increases would be nominal, however simple math indicated a significant increase of close to 50 cents per gallon for this crony-capitalist shell game, and that’s exactly what happened.

Supporters of this carbon-pricing scam tried gaslight the public and shift blame onto the supposed greed of oil companies. They completely ignored the fact that our neighboring states have had much lower gas prices.

We learned from a whistleblower that the public may have been purposefully misled about the ‘cap-and-tax’ program. A long-time and relatively senior state employee who was tasked with calculating the costs says he was pressured to lie about the impact on gas prices, which showed a 45 to 50 cents per gallon increase. He refused to lie and appears was retaliated against and forced from his job.

Watch the KING 5 story by clicking here.

Unfortunately, I’m not surprised by this news. During Governor Inslee’s tenure, state agencies have been plagued by serious mismanagement. This isn’t the first time and likely not the last where the uniparty state will try to hide the truth from the public.

Your Feedback

In my last newsletter, I had asked for your feedback on issues facing the Legislature. Thank you very much for taking the time to provide those insights. As I suspected, there’s a big disconnect between what’s happening in Olympia and what our district sees as priorities. I will take these results to heart when working on your behalf when the Legislature convenes in early January. Click on the image or on this link to see the full report from the survey.

As part of my interim travels I participated in a practice version of the Convention of States. If you’re unfamiliar, this is concept developed in our nation’s founding whereby the state’s can amend the U.S. Constitution, following a similar process for Congress. You can read more about this movement by clicking here.

It was an interesting learning experience with delegates from around the country. There are already a number of states that have passed legislation to convene an Article V Convention.

The organization began in 2013 and in a short amount of time has done some impressive work aimed at using our Constitutional process to effect change and place needed limits on the federal government. I believe that something like this is needed now more than ever. To date, 19 states have approved the Convention of States Resolution.

Engaging with your Legislature

One lasting result from the COVID pandemic has been increased access through technology to your state government. It can be a big burden for citizens to come to Olympia to participate in committee hearings or meet with their representatives. Now, the public can access tons of information about what’s happening in the state Legislature and give their feedback online. Below are valuable tools to have your voice heard and get informed.

Overview of how to testify remotely:

https://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx

General information on how to sign in to testify remotely before a Senate committee:

https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/Senate

Want to follow bills on a topic of concern?

You can also search for legislation by bill number or by keywords and text of a proposal. Click here for more information.