Author Archives: Laudan

More Restrictions on Law-abiding Citizens

My office is being inundated with constituents concerned about what is going on in Olympia with respect to our Second Amendment rights.

I want to thank everyone for sharing their concerns and any efforts being made to slow or stop these unnecessary infringements on law-abiding citizens. I thought I’d share a brief update on where some of these proposal are in the legislative process.

Senate Bill 5078 would create liability for gun manufacturers and dealers that would basically make them uninsurable in our state. This proposal was approved by the policy committee with 1563 signing in support and 2775 testifiers opposed. It had a public hearing in the budget committee Jan. 31 where 657 signed in Pro and 886 testifiers Con. No further action has been taken yet.
Senate Bill 5193 and the House companion bill, which are being referred to an an “assault weapons” ban have not yet received a public hearing. The other related legislation, Senate Bill 5265 has not moved in the Senate, but the House version, HB 1240 could be voted on by the House of Representatives if it is taken out of the Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 5446 would allow local jurisdictions to create their own gun laws, which is currently preempted by state law. The Senate version has not received a public hearing, but the House bill is moving. Interestingly, it was scheduled to be voted out of committee twice, but nothing happened.

I share the frustration and oppose efforts to further restrict our constitutional rights and the impact this liability proposal will have on a legal industry in our state.

Problems with gun violence in Washington are not due to law abiding citizens, they are caused by criminals with guns they already are not legally allowed to have. Imposing the kind of liability will do nothing but further infringe on the rights of citizens. This is akin to making car manufacturers and dealers liable for drunk drivers.

When I stand up for your Second Amendment rights, I am standing up for mine as well. I am doing everything in my power to slow the progress of these bad pieces of legislation. Given the makeup of the Legislature, stopping them altogether may not be possible, but I will voice your concerns and the concerns of many who have contacted me and my colleagues in opposition to this and other gun-related legislation.

Fortunato bill would restrict sex offender placement after Enumclaw debacle

Residents in the city of Enumclaw are outraged after learning that the state is placing unsupervised sex offenders in their community.

As part of legislation that was approved in 2021, local jurisdictions have to provide what is called “less restrictive alternative” or LRA housing to accommodate offenders where they were originally convicted.

State Sen. Phil Fortunato is concerned that the process of communicating the releases, siting these group homes, and overall deinstitutionalizing of sex offenders with a high likelihood to reoffend is putting communities at risk.

“The situation is unacceptable and part of a pattern from some in Olympia that want to treat hardened criminals with kid gloves,” said Fortunato. “We’re seeing that with the police pursuit debate, and now with the quiet release of predators into neighborhoods. Just look at what the state is doing in Lynnwood against the residents’ wishes with the drug rehab near a Boys and Girls Club.”

Fortunato is introducing legislation, Senate Bill 5729, that would restrict where LRAs can be located. Currently, they are allowed within 500 feet of a school. Under his proposal, they could not be located within two miles. In addition, the proposal would require the Department of Social and Health Services, which oversees the program and offenders, to provide notices rather than law enforcement. Two other provisions include required notification of elected officials, as Fortunato says he learned about the problem directly from constituents.

In an email, DSHS officials indicated they extended an offer to meet with legislators more than two months after notifying law enforcement of the release and a month after the offender moved into the unsupervised Enumclaw house.

“I get that DSHS is following the law. That’s not in question. What I’m trying to fix is a bad law that is letting high-risk sex offenders live unsupervised in unsecured facilities in our communities, near kids. It’s absurd,” Fortunato said.

With just under 10 days for bills to receive public input and be approved by the policy committees where they originally were assigned, Fortunato is hopeful that the groundswell of opposition to the sex offender placement practices in Enumclaw and recently in Tenino, will spur Democratic majorities to fix the problem fast.

“This is not a controversial or partisan issue,” Fortunato added. “Public safety is a priority and committee chairs can get this done easily to keep our communities safe. Let’s get this bill heard and voted on.”

Democrats switch course, adopt Republican-led homeless approach

Gov. Jay Inslee recently held a news conference in Spokane, touting the work of a new approach to dealing with the state’s daunting homelessness crisis. The only problem? The policies being touted as effective were originally part of a package that homeless advocates and Democratic lawmakers sought to kill.

The ranking Republican on the Senate’s housing committee is calling out the hypocrisy and urging adoption of his proposals this coming legislative session.

“We need a comprehensive homeless plan that helps our cities and counties deal with the influx of homelessness, largely caused by Democratic policies,” said Sen. Phil Fortunato. “It is estimated that the state and counties, not including cites, spend in the vicinity of $3 billion, more than 4 percent of the state’s budget. The recent report by the state auditor on how homeless dollars are being spent is a strong indictment of the status quo. The problem isn’t that we are not spending enough on homelessness, it is how we are spending it.”

Much of what the governor is touting is covered under Fortunato’s SHELTER Act, and Senate Bill 5591, which would create guidelines for prioritizing rapid rehousing for persons with disabilities, families, pregnant women and people over 60 years old.

“I hope that the governor and my Democratic colleagues working on this issue can put partisan politics aside and do what works for our communities and those experiencing homelessness. It is not compassionate to have people live on the street in cardboard boxes,” said Fortunato, R-Auburn

Opposition from the more than 400 homeless advocates to the SHELTER Act during its 2020 committee hearing focused on provisions that required secure fencing, police security, and prohibiting drugs or alcohol. They also derided enforcement measures, such as making it a misdemeanor for camping on public property.

After the Legislature failed to act on an effective homelessness strategy, local jurisdictions began implementing their own versions of Fortunato’s proposal. Shortly after the hearing, Mercer Island adopted an ordinance with even harsher penalties such as jail time and hefty fines. The City of Auburn passed an ordinance levying a $1,000 fine and/or 90 days in jail for those convicted of criminal trespass for camping on public property. In November of this year, Tacoma approved a controversial public camping ban that is nearly identical to Fortunato’s proposal.

The 2023 legislative session begins Jan. 9 and is scheduled to last 105 days. Fortunato has introduced Senate Bill 5016, a comprehensive homeless plan incorporating many of the Republican homeless strategies into a single bill.

The proposal, called “From Homelessness to Housing,” would provide temporary shelter, transitional housing and work opportunities, with the goal of moving people through the continuum toward homeownership, generating wealth for low-income families to escape poverty, Fortunato added.

“The housing affordability problem in our state is real, people are feeling it and it goes beyond homelessness,” Fortunato said. “The state’s response should be to move people through this housing continuum with the goal of affordable home ownership. That can’t happen if we let people languish in this drug, alcohol and mental health crisis while simultaneously restricting housing options for everyone else.”

###

Abortions in Washington might be legal, but Inslee made them less safe, says Fortunato

In a recent statement, Gov. Jay Inslee touted his work to keep Washington a pro-abortion state, vowing to “fight to ensure safe, affordable access to every person who needs it,” on the heels of a leak of a draft decision overturning the controversial Roe v. Wade abortion case at the U.S. Supreme Court.

State Sen. Phil Fortunato contends that recent legislation signed by Inslee might keep the procedure legal but won’t keep women safe.

“The reactionary tone is predictable and misleading,” said Fortunato. “The governor and pro-abortion lawmakers are doing a great job parroting polarizing talking points while trying to hide the fact that in their quest to expand access to this life-ending procedure for a baby, they’ve also made it more dangerous for women.”

Fortunato is referring to a bill passed this session that lowers the standard of care for those administering an abortion. Washington state previously required a licensed physician to perform an abortion, but House Bill 1851, signed by Inslee into law, changes the definition of who can terminate a pregnancy and removes liability for a botched procedure.

“Making the decision to terminate a pregnancy is probably the most difficult decision a woman could make, and I wish that it didn’t happen,” Fortunato said. “As a policy, the state should promote life and provide supports to encourage the joys of motherhood. This latest policy in our state flies in the face of women struggling with this and makes their health outcomes more uncertain. The governor’s stance will bring little comfort to a woman who has no recourse if she becomes sterile from this life-altering procedure.”

Sen. Fortunato calls on governor to relax vaccine requirements for volunteers

OLYMPIA…While most of the nation has moved beyond vaccine mandates, Washington state remains an outlier, and a policy hidden in one of Gov. Inslee’s executive orders is putting a damper on cleaning up the state’s highways.

Sen. Phil Fortunato sent a letter to the governor asking him to relax the rules that require even volunteers in outdoor settings to provide proof of vaccination status to pick up garbage as part of the state’s Adopt-a-Highway program.

“It’s absurd that the state is requiring volunteers to provide proof of vaccination to clean up garbage outdoors,” said Fortunato, R-Auburn. “I was told there are concerns about safety, but the governor doesn’t seem to care about the vaccination status of people illegally camping on public right of ways who are creating the litter problem.”

Last year, the governor signed legislation sponsored by Fortunato aimed at cleaning up the state’s littered roadways. Senate Bill 5040, known as the Welcome to Washington Act, streamlines the process for road clean-ups and creates a process for local jurisdictions to get reimbursed for their own litter control activities on state highway ramps.

Local officials brought this issue to Fortunato’s attention after a local service organization was barred from participating in its Adopt-a-Highway clean-up.

“As I said in my letter, we can have disagreements about the necessity of the governor’s continuing emergency powers, but I believe that he should follow the example of other states and start to relax some of these more outlandish requirements and allow these volunteers to help make Washington beautiful again,” added Fortunato.

You can read the entire letter here.

New gun restrictions signed into law

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a package of bills Wednesday tightening the state’s gun laws, including a measure that bans the manufacture, distribution and sale of firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Washington joins nine other states, including California and New Jersey, that restrict magazine capacity size.

“This paranoia of law-abiding gun owners is unproductive. I oppose efforts to demonize anyone who wants to lawfully protect themselves, their families and their constitutional rights – they aren’t the threat,” state Senator Phil Fortunato said Wednesday in a statement. “Criminals emboldened by the erosion of our police, thanks to the Governor and his friends in the Legislature, are a threat and won’t be dissuaded from doing harm because of these new laws.

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/olympia/inslee-signs-bills-tightening-gun-rules/281-f94370fd-9345-4682-b4e3-e189438b441a

Attend my upcoming town halls!

Governor reneges on offer to talk with Republicans

If you missed this story as it developed, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee publicly offered to sit down with Republicans and talk about his decision to keep the two-year old state of emergency in place. Four Senate Republicans, including Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, took him up on the offer. Now the governor says he’s not going to talk to anybody.

Read more: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/mar/17/sue-lani-madsen/

The 2022 session is under way

Greetings Friends,

We’re in the second week of the 2022 legislative session and things are starting to heat up. This week committees are continuing to hold public hearings on legislation that will significantly impact your rights. So, I’m writing you to make sure you have every opportunity to have your voice heard.

If you weren’t aware, the Legislature is continuing its nearly all virtual session, which in my opinion is not only limiting my ability to represent you in the Senate but is creating concerns for the public’s access to their state government.

We have now been in an “emergency” for nearly 700 days and it’s becoming clearer that this virus is something we are going to have to live with. It is time to return to normal proceedings and Zoom is not a substitute to being able to represent my constituents on the Senate Floor.

In the first week of session, I made a principled stand for transparency and common sense by protesting the Senate’s rules. On the first day, I showed up in-person to work from my office but refused to participate in their arbitrary and ineffective testing policy. I declined to sign the waiver form that essentially allowed the Senate to dictate my health decisions.

I did not back down and fought to get a change in the waiver language that empower legislators and staff. Those efforts were successful.

Requiring testing of people with no symptoms when there is a shortage of tests is ridiculous. Why does the majority think we are so special that we should be taking these valuable resources? We are not more important than the people paying our salaries that have had to work this entire pandemic without any safety measures in place.

Get Involved

Since the 2022 legislative session is being conducted remotely, I want to be sure you have access to your government. Below are resources on how you can provide input on bills and keep apprised of what’s happening virtually in Olympia.

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?

Protecting your rights

This Wednesday, the Senate Law & Justice Committee will be acting on bills that will further restrict your Second Amendment rights. The onslaught is constant. I do not support these proposals that are grounded in fear and misinformation. During the public hearing thousands of people signed in opposition to the handful of bills. Our state already has some of the most stringent laws concerning firearms and we don’t need more. What I’m hearing from constituents is resounding opposition to banning fictitious “assault weapons” and placing further restrictions on where and how law-abiding gun owners can exercise their rights.

Engaging Remotely with your Legislature

The 2025 legislative session is under way and while we are meeting in person at the state Capitol, you can still participate remotely in a meaningful way. I want to be sure you have access to your government. Below are resources on how you can provide input on bills and keep apprised of what’s happening in Olympia.

Overview of how to testify remotely:

https://leg.wa.gov/bills-meetings-and-session/session/how-to-testify-at-a-committee-meeting/

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

https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSI/

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.