Phil Fortunato

Today, I had a briefing on how COVID-19 is impacting the state’s economy. The state’s Chief Economist unsurprisingly delivered some pretty devastating news. You can read the full report by clicking here.  

Sen. Phil Fortunato explains why the state needs to cut spending, now! Washington state’s COVID-19 response will leave the state budget in tatters come January. Hopefully leaders will do the right thing

Sen. Phil Fortunato sent a letter to the governor demanding that the state reconsider how businesses are deemed essential. The impacts of stopping private construction is devastating to workers and their families, to the industry and will have significant impacts on the state’s budget.

March 27, 2020   Jay Inslee Office of the Governor PO Box 40002 Olympia, WA 985004-0002   Governor Inslee, I call on you to immediately amend your March 23, 2020, “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order to include firearm-related businesses and shooting ranges in the list of businesses and industries in...

Greetings Friends and Neighbors, I hope that you are doing well and staying safe and healthy. I have urgent news to share regarding the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. While most Washingtonians have been doing their part to take personal precautions, the spread and severity of this virus is...

Recent changes in the state’s property tax, added pressures from local tax levies and rising home values mean more people are struggling to pay their property taxes. That is why state Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, and the Senate Republican Caucus are pushing to amend the state’s constitution to restructure Washington’s...

Greetings from Olympia, It’s been awhile since I last sent out an update but have tried to keep folks apprised of what’s happening in Olympia via my legislative Facebook. You may have noticed that in our first round of voting in the Senate, I was marked ‘excused.’ A couple of weeks...

Democratic leaders on the Senate Transportation Committee unveiled their funding proposal this week to deal with what they’re calling the “I-976 crisis” and to restart delayed transportation projects. I offered the following statement to the press. “I supported this supplemental budget, but it’s really just a band-aid. It is needlessly...

Before the 2020 legislative session, state Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, advocated for a special session to address the $30 car tab legal challenge that placed the needed tax-relief measure on hold. Now, Fortunato’s “clean” bill to avoid single-subject concerns that precipitated the Initiative 976 lawsuit will receive a public hearing...

Greetings from Olympia, It has been a busy three weeks in Olympia. Early on, the Senate took to the floor to push through legislation that was left over from last session. Unfortunately, not much of what was passed will help address the pressing issues of homelessness, rising costs of health...