Phil Fortunato

This coming Wednesday, I’ll be holding a virtual town hall again to discuss what’s happening in the Legislature and ask for your perspective on bills that are moving. You can register for the town hall by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the...

Friends and Neighbors, We are nearing the halfway point of the 2021 legislative session. Monday is what is called the policy cutoff. This means that all bills in the Senate must be approved in their respective committee to continue in the process and then we will begin voting on bills...

As the ranking member on the Senate’s housing committee, state Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn has been looking at innovative ways to address the state’s affordable housing and homelessness crisis. Despite billions of dollars being spent on the problem, homelessness and housing insecurity continue to rise. In a recent hearing on...

Transportation policy leaders have been working to address Washington’s ailing infrastructure since the passage of the last major package, known as “Connecting Washington,” in 2015. Despite record increases in the state gas tax and other transportation-related fees and charges, the state’s transportation needs have remained woefully underfunded. State. Sen. Phil Fortunato...

Freedom is the watchword for the new Senate Freedom Caucus, announced Thursday by lawmakers to advocate for lower taxes, responsible state spending, individual liberties and a government that gets out of the people’s way. The Freedom Caucus will advocate for core conservative principles. Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, said the new...

While many policies that emanate from Olympia concerning the right to bear arms focus on restricting Second Amendment protections, state Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, is pushing to expand them. He’s filed a state constitutional amendment to enshrine an individual right to own high-capacity magazines, a popular target for anti-gun advocates....

State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, offered the following statement on the news of Washington’s Employment Security Department commissioner leaving to join the Biden-Harris administration.  “There is a strategy in corporate America that if you have an incompetent manager, you promote them to a job where they cannot do any harm,” said...

  OLYMPIA… State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, is keeping his promise to some of the state’s most vulnerable. “Seniors and disabled people are particularly affected by rising property taxes and health-care costs – and that was before the economic uncertainty related to COVID-19,” said Fortunato. “This issue is one that...

The second week of the 2021 legislative is coming to an end. As promised, I’d like to connect with you personally to provide an update and get your insights. So, I’m hosting another virtual town hall and if timing permits, I’m hoping to hold an informal discussion every two weeks...

Most of Washington’s public schools have been closed to in-person learning for nearly a year, forcing countless families to struggle at balancing work and childcare in addition to ensuring their children are learning remotely. State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, sees the massive shift in how schools operate as a reason...