Author Archives: Laudan

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 2023 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/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.

Pushback on Senate’s COVID rules delivers win for transparency, says Fortunato

A major part of Sen. Phil Fortunato’s objection to the Senate’s COVID protocols centered on language in the required testing release form, which currently states:

“In addition to the above I understand and agree that if any Test conducted during my employment, or while I am on Client’s work site or premises, returns positive, I will be required to follow the medical advice provided to me through Client and their designees, which may include isolation, quarantine, and possibly hospitalization.”

Upon questioning, legislative attorneys indicated that it is not legally enforceable, so Fortunato declined to sign the waiver as written. His refusal meant he could not get tested and participate in the opening-day proceedings in person.

“If it’s not legally enforceable, then I don’t see why I can’t strike that language,” said Fortunato. “I appreciate the work the Senate administration is doing to keep us safe, but they are not my doctors. If I contract COVID again, I won’t be signing anything that says I must follow their medical directives.”

In an email to the secretary of the Senate, Fortunato asked if the vendor would accept that section being deleted and if not, would the Senate accept testing from a medical facility that uses the same process. The secretary replied that the vendor will be changing the contested language starting this Friday to:

“I will be required to immediately leave the premises.”

“I am glad they addressed the concerns that many of our members and I had who felt we were forced to sign this waiver under duress to participate in the process,” Fortunato said. “I’ve received emails from staff members saying thank you and that they will be using the new form on Friday.”

Fortunato continues to assert that the testing requirements are additional qualifications not enumerated in the state constitution. With the agreed-upon changes, it makes it least reasonable to participate, he added.

Fortunato tests new Senate COVID rules, is escorted off Capitol Campus

On the opening day of the 2022 legislative session, state Sen. Phil Fortunato put new COVID-related rules to the test. The Senate majority approved requirements for in-person participation in the Senate Chamber, but Fortunato argues that the rules are arbitrary, illogical and don’t supersede his constitutional duties.

“The Senate majority rammed through these rules that don’t pass constitutional muster,” Fortunato argues. “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.”

Fortunato, R-Auburn points to flaws in the safety measures, like weekly testing that undermine the new rules altogether.

“They are saying we cannot be in person unless we receive a negative test result from a test that they agree can give false positives or negatives. One of our members just got back their test results – the only problem is that they never got a test.

“At some point in time we have to push back, and I intend to at every step of the way. I believe the Governor and the Democratic majority, under the guise of public health, have instituted policies that violate our rights and endanger our democracy.”

Testing of legislators and staff multiple times a week when tests for schools and front-line workers are running out sends the wrong message, added Fortunato. “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.”

When the Senate administration learned that Fortunato entered the Legislative Building without undergoing required testing, Senate Security was called to escort the Senator out, barring him from even participating remotely in his office.

“There are significant questions raised by limiting access to the Senate chamber through rules that add qualifications to the constitutional minimum required be able to exercise the elected office,” said constitutional legal expert Joel Ard. “Fortunato’s principled stand sends a message that constitutional rights, especially for elected leaders, don’t stop at the chamber door.”

Fortunato indicated that he will again attempt to participate in the legislative proceedings in person this Wednesday when the Senate is schedule to vote on bills.

Tax Town Halls

I would like to invite you to share your thoughts at an upcoming Tax Town Hall. There will be discussion on changing the state’s tax structure to make it “more equitable.” There are various options being considered to change the tax code. One such option is to lower the sales tax or property taxes by increasing taxes on “those that can afford to pay more.”

Unfortunately, “those that can afford to pay more” can also move and take their tax dollars with them. When New Jersey increased their income tax rate, one taxpayer moved in 2015 and took his billions of dollars with him. This caused a budget shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars. Income tax revenue is one of the most unstable revenue streams states can use for budgeting.

Another proposal would tax stock transfers and exempt retirement accounts. Connecticut has tried this. They received a windfall the first year, but saw a massive deficit the following year, counting on the new revenue. People simply stopped doing taxable transfers.

There is a bright spot. Deducting $250,000 from your property values to give some property tax relief.

Beware of the government that says they will tax the “other guy” and pass the savings on to you.

I am supposed to just listen during these town halls, and not offer my opinion. I would ask you to participate and voice yours.

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

2:30 – 4 p.m. Sign up here | 6:30 – 8 p.m. Sign up here

Learn more at: https://taxworkgroup.org/