Phil Fortunato

Security remained tight at the state Capitol for yesterday’s opening of the 2021 legislative session. The Capitol Campus was fenced off from the public over the weekend after demonstrators had trespassed onto the grounds of Gov. Jay Inslee’s official residence Jan. 6. The governor also had called hundreds of armed...

State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, issued the following statement on the news of today’s events in Olympia. “If you believe in the Constitution, as I do, the behavior witnessed today in Olympia is unhelpful to those of us working to protect our rights. While I support the open carry of...

Last month I held a first-of-its-kind virtual town hall. It was a big success. We had a nice size crowd and were able to have an open discussion on a lot of great topics from transportation to taxes, COVID response and more. It was such a hit, that I’m hosting...

I’ve received a great deal of emails regarding a wide range of topics affecting you. As we prepare for the upcoming legislative session, I want to have a dialogue about your priorities, what I’m working on, and what you think I should be focusing on for our district. I’m looking...

Devastating impacts to state economy underscore need for special legislative session Over the weekend, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a rollback of the progress on reopening Washington’s economy with renewed restrictions on small businesses in a modified lockdown right before the winter holidays. Among the changes are a slashing of retail...

As counties in Washington continue counting ballots cast in the 2020 general election, 31st District Sen. Phil Fortunato has asked Secretary of State Kim Wyman to wait on certifying the election results until her office is certain the number of ballots cast exactly matches the number of voters known to...

Legislature should convene in October Republican efforts to convene a special legislative session, led by state Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, to address the state’s response to the COVID-19 epidemic since April have largely gone unheeded by Gov. Jay Inslee. Instead, the governor has chosen to sideline the Legislature, issuing executive...

Many are concerned over the governor’s use of emergency powers during this COVID-19 outbreak. Few remember that they were granted under the 2019 SJR 8200, which passed with voter approval by 65.5%. As usual the small change had an unintended consequence. The constitutional change was quite simple, it added: “catastrophic...

Senator wonders why governor didn’t personally meet with Taiwanese envoys   Representatives from the government of Taiwan Friday delivered hundreds of thousands of masks that will be given to medical workers and first responders working to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Washington. Sen. Phil Fortunato said what should have...

Greetings Friends, Although the Legislature is not in session, I’m still working hard for you. I’ve been hearing a lot from constituents asking what we as legislators are doing to push back on the governor’s executive actions. That has been challenging – because we are not in session, we can’t...