Thank you for the opportunity to serve our community in the 31st Legislative District. In Olympia, I’m focused on practical solutions that keep Washington affordable, ensure accountability, and reflect the common-sense priorities of the people I work for every day. Today marks another deadline — Policy Committee Cutoff in the opposite...

Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, shares his perspective on two controversial bills. First, he examines a proposal to seal records for individuals who change their gender identity, raising concerns about its potential clash with an initiative protecting girls’ sports. Then, he dives into a second bill that would impose new qualifications...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Among the bills debated and voted on this week on the Senate floor were two measures that stirred strong reactions across our state: Senate Bill 5855 and Senate Bill 5067. Both were heard and voted on Jan. 28, and I want to explain how I voted...

I’ve heard from hundreds of you about what is happening with ICE and immigration enforcement in Washington state. Many of you have asked why enforcement now looks different than it did in years past. For some background, federal immigration enforcement isn’t new. ICE has operated under Republican and Democratic presidents...

Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, is urging the Legislature to reverse course on what he calls misguided sanctuary policies that are forcing Washington taxpayers to shoulder the cost of incarcerating undocumented immigrants while federal authorities are sidelined. Fortunato introduced Senate Bill 5818 in the final days of the 2025 session that...

State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, is calling for an end to Washington’s sanctuary state policy following a violent assault in King County that left a 58-year-old woman hospitalized after she was kidnapped, tortured, and left for dead. One of the suspects reportedly has ties to Tren de Aragua, a violent...

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....

On the final day of the 2023 legislative session, the Democratic-led state House failed to approve a fix to the 2021 Blake drug possession decision, Senate Bill 5536, by a vote of 43 to 55. That means that the stopgap bill approved that same year, which sunsets this July, would...