A group of Washington state senators say Wednesday’s assassination of rising conservative influencer Charlie Kirk calls attention to the threat of violence across the entire political spectrum. Republicans Phil Fortunato, Jeff Wilson, Jim McCune and Leonard Christian say the Utah campus shooting demonstrates the state’s new Domestic Extremism and Mass...

Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, issued the following statement after Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency in response to the White River Bridge closure on State Route 410: “I appreciate the governor’s swift action in declaring an emergency so the state can move quickly to stabilize the White River...

Fortunato calls on the Governor to act and support SB 5002 to end protections for violent offenders and restore law enforcement cooperation.

Just weeks after Senate Democrats rejected an amendment from Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, to include political affiliation in Washington’s hate crime law, a violent incident at Washington State University (WSU) underscored exactly why those protections are needed. House Bill 1052 was approved by the Legislature late last week, expanding the...

Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, continues to voice strong opposition to House Bill 1163, calling the proposed firearms permitting law “a blatant and dangerous assault on constitutional rights.” Despite his broader objections to the bill, one amendment sponsored by Fortunato was adopted by the Senate. HB 1163 would require Washington residents...

State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, issued the following statement Wednesday in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Protecting American Energy from State Overreach,” which could upend Washington state’s controversial Climate Commitment Act (CCA), also known as cap-and-trade. “President Trump’s executive action is a critical step toward reining in...

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Senate rejected amendments proposed by Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, that aimed to expand the state’s hate crime statute to include protections for individuals targeted based on their economic choices—such as driving a Tesla—or political affiliation. “If we are serious about protecting people from targeted...

Dear Friends, As we enter the final weeks of the 2025 legislative session, we’ll be working late into the evenings voting on bills and negotiating the various budgets (operating, transportation, and capital). This past Saturday the Senate adopted the majority party’s $78.5 billion proposal, funded with over $20 billion in...

On the final day to approve legislation originating in the state Senate, three bills sponsored by Sen. Phil Fortunato, were passed with bipartisan support. Tackling issues ranging from civic education in schools to improving fairness in divorce proceedings and modernizing knife laws, the Auburn Republican’s eclectic proposals now head to...

Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, is condemning legislative Democrats for failing to act on his proposal, Senate Bill 5012, which would have ensured fairness and safety for girls in sports by preserving single-sex competition in Washington schools. The refusal to advance this common-sense legislation comes as concerns grow over the impact...