Banning some rifles won’t protect kids, according to a state Senator, but increasing security at schools will. I voted against the Democrat “assault weapons” bill that passed out of the Senate, but first tried to amend the legislation. Among other things, my amendment would have spent $50million to improve safety and add resource officers at schools to respond to threats. Democrats objected to the amendment and the Democratic Lieutenant Governor ruled it out of order.
Tag Archives: Second Amendment
I want to thank everyone for sharing their concerns and any efforts being made to slow or stop these unnecessary infringements on law-abiding citizens. Here is a brief update on where some of these proposals are in the legislative process. I share the frustration and oppose efforts to further restrict our constitutional rights. I’ve argued that these measures will do nothing to protect the public, our schools, or reduce crime. Problems with gun violence in Washington are not due to law abiding citizens, they are caused by criminals with guns they already are not legally allowed to have.
When I stand up for your Second Amendment rights, I am standing up for mine as well. I am doing everything in my power to slow the progress of these bad pieces of legislation. Given the makeup of the Legislature, stopping them altogether may not be possible, but I will voice your concerns and the concerns of many who have contacted me and my colleagues in opposition to this and other gun-related legislation.
Our state already has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation but the problem is that the legislative majority has pushed through bad policies that shield criminals from prosecution, hamper our law enforcement from doing their jobs, and treat violent offenders who use firearms with kid gloves.
House bills:
Senate Bills:
- SB 5078 (Passed the Senate) would create liability for gun manufacturers and dealers that would basically make them uninsurable in our state. This proposal was approved by the policy committee with 1563 signing in support and 2775 testifiers opposed. It had a public hearing in the budget committee Jan. 31 where 657 signed in Pro and 886 testifiers Con. No further action has been taken yet.
- SB 5193 (Died in Committee) which is being referred to an an “assault weapons” ban.
- SB 5265 (Died in Committee) Establishing firearms-related safety measures to increase public safety..
- SB 5446 (Died in Committee) would allow local jurisdictions to create their own gun laws, which is currently preempted by state law.
Engaging with your Legislature
The 2023 legislative session is under way and while we are meeting in person at the state Capitol, you can still participate remotely in a meaningful way. I want to be sure you have access to your government. Below are resources on how you can provide input on bills and keep apprised of what’s happening in Olympia.
Overview of how to testify remotely:
https://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx
(Don’t want to speak? You can sign-in “Pro or Con” not wishing to testify.)
General information on how to sign in to testify remotely before a Senate committee:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/Senate
Want to follow bills on a topic of concern?
Log in and create an account to customize reports, manage personal bill tracking lists, and more.
You can also search for legislation by bill number or by keywords and text of a proposal. Click here for more information.
It has been a challenging week on the Senate floor. While the majority of our work is bipartisan, there are certain areas of sincere disagreement that I have to speak up about, especially concerning what I view are fundamental rights.
Parents Rights
Late Wednesday night the legislative majority rushed through probably one of the worst pieces of legislation for families that I’ve seen in a long time. Senate Bill 5599 claims to help troubled youth, but the bill as approved really interjects government into the rights of parents to make decisions for their child.
Under this proposed law, parents of a minor who runs away from home and ends up in a shelter or other some “host home” do not need to be notified if there’s a “compelling reason” not to.
I agree that kids who are being abused should have protections, but that’s not what this bill does. The “compelling reason” to not tell parents where their child is focuses on what they call “protected health services,” defined as gender affirming care or reproductive care, including abortions which do not have to be performed by a doctor.
A little known fact is that the state recently lowered the standard of care for this serious medical procedure. Now, any “health care provider” can perform an abortion without parental knowledge. Proponents pretend there aren’t medical risks, including possible sterilization or death, while simultaneously passing legislation requiring informed consent about other health care procedures.
We hear all the time in other legislation how children don’t have the mental faculties to make all kinds of decisions. Those same people are now saying that children somehow have the capability to make life-altering medical ones without a parent even being notified. This bad proposal puts the government between families and suffering kids and it’s plain wrong. I voted against this bill.
Just Get it Over With!
Despite strong federal and state constitutional protections, some lawmakers in Olympia are obsessed with gun regulations.
On Thursday, the Senate Democrats passed Senate Bill 5078, which would create new liability for gun manufacturers and dealers that would basically make them uninsurable in our state. The proposal says that this lawful industry must establish “reasonable controls” related to their products or face penalties for creating a public nuisance if the products are used by a third party in a criminal activity. It’s akin to making car manufacturers and dealers liable for drunk drivers.
You can read my amendment to this bill by clicking here and compare it to the intent section as it was approved by clicking here.
During the public hearings on this proposal 1,563 people signed in support and 2,775 testifiers opposed it.
I spoke against this illogical legislation and ultimately voted against the bill.
Problems with gun violence and crime in Washington are not caused by law-abiding citizens. It’s a cumulative effect of bad laws and a judicial system that lets hardened criminals off the hook when they have guns they aren’t legally allowed to possess anyway.
Imposing this kind of liability will do nothing stem the tide of crime in our state, but it will kills jobs and possibly drive a significant industry out of our state.
One of my Senate colleagues said on the floor that if they want to ban guns, just introduce a bill and let’s debate it, but this incrementalism is not going to fix the problems of crime and gun violence that they’ve enabled.
While some in Olympia are working furiously to restrict your right to protect yourself and your family, they enable insane things like allowing violent criminals to be released without bail, even in the case of a mass shooter. Read more about this recent story by clicking here. The Legislature should stop the pretense that these special-interest driven gun regulations are about protecting people.
Greetings Friends,
We’re in the second week of the 2022 legislative session and things are starting to heat up. This week committees are continuing to hold public hearings on legislation that will significantly impact your rights. So, I’m writing you to make sure you have every opportunity to have your voice heard.
If you weren’t aware, the Legislature is continuing its nearly all virtual session, which in my opinion is not only limiting my ability to represent you in the Senate but is creating concerns for the public’s access to their state government.
We have now been in an “emergency” for nearly 700 days and it’s becoming clearer that this virus is something we are going to have to live with. It is time to return to normal proceedings and Zoom is not a substitute to being able to represent my constituents on the Senate Floor.
In the first week of session, I made a principled stand for transparency and common sense by protesting the Senate’s rules. On the first day, I showed up in-person to work from my office but refused to participate in their arbitrary and ineffective testing policy. I declined to sign the waiver form that essentially allowed the Senate to dictate my health decisions.
I did not back down and fought to get a change in the waiver language that empower legislators and staff. Those efforts were successful.
Requiring testing of people with no symptoms when there is a shortage of tests is ridiculous. Why does the majority think we are so special that we should be taking these valuable resources? We are not more important than the people paying our salaries that have had to work this entire pandemic without any safety measures in place.
Get Involved
Since the 2022 legislative session is being conducted remotely, I want to be sure you have access to your government. Below are resources on how you can provide input on bills and keep apprised of what’s happening virtually in Olympia.
Overview of how to testify remotely:
https://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx
General information on how to sign in to testify remotely before a Senate committee:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/Senate
Want to follow bills on a topic of concern?
Log in and create an account to customize reports, manage personal bill tracking lists, and more.
Protecting your rights
This Wednesday, the Senate Law & Justice Committee will be acting on bills that will further restrict your Second Amendment rights. The onslaught is constant. I do not support these proposals that are grounded in fear and misinformation. During the public hearing thousands of people signed in opposition to the handful of bills. Our state already has some of the most stringent laws concerning firearms and we don’t need more. What I’m hearing from constituents is resounding opposition to banning fictitious “assault weapons” and placing further restrictions on where and how law-abiding gun owners can exercise their rights.
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 the “Essential Workforce Critical Workers” list.
The order allows businesses that provide services “necessary to maintain the safety and sanitation of residences,” as well as “all facilities used by law enforcement personnel,” to remain open. If breweries, wineries, and cannabis stores are considered “essential” to the daily lives of Washingtonians during the COVID-19 crisis, then surely firearms-related businesses and shooting ranges must rank at an even higher level of importance.
Firearms-related businesses and shooting ranges provide critical supplies to law enforcement and security, not to mention ensuring that hard-working Washingtonians have access to products and training needed to defend themselves and their families. Washington residents that are currently authorized to lawfully purchase a firearm are guaranteed that “access” by the Washington State Constitution. (Article I, Section 24 of the Washington State Constitution, which states: “the right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired.”).
I implore you to respect a fundamental tenant of the state constitution, and reconsider your decision.
Sincerely,
Senator Phil Fortunato
31st Legislative District
On the news of the recent shootings in Seattle, some are reflexively saying ‘we need more gun control!’ They skip over the fact that the 2 criminals had 65 arrests but were still on the streets. What can be done? I’ve got some answers.
State Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, has introduced legislation in advance of the 2019 legislative session that would require legislators who draft gun legislation to be trained and pass a test.
“We have legislators drafting bills who have no idea how firearms work or any sense of firearm nomenclature,” said Fortunato. “When decision makers want to restrict someone’s constitutional rights, they shouldn’t go off half-cocked.”
Fortunato’s bill would require legislators who want to draft legislation to pass the state’s criminal justice firearms training for each firearm they wish to regulate. In addition to classroom and live-fire requirements, legislators would also need to pass range safety officer training, and be able to pass a knowledge test for calibers and gauges of firearms.
Fortunato points to actual quotes from anti-gun politicians to demonstrate the need for better education of policymakers.
“A weapon (AR-15) that shoots off 700 rounds in a minute.” – former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Florida.
A ghost gun that “has the ability, with a .30-caliber clip, to disperse with 30 bullets within half a second; 30 magazine clip in half a second.” – California state Sen. Kevin de Leon (D).
“…number of these high-capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available…” – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colorado.
“We have federal regulations and state laws that prohibit hunting ducks with more than three rounds. And yet it’s legal to hunt humans with 15-round, 30-round, even 150-round magazines.” – U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California.
“I guess no one told Sen. Feinstein that it’s illegal to hunt humans,” Fortunato added. “I just think that it is fair to require some competency training for legislators so they can better understand what the heck they are talking about.”
March 12, 2018
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Your Second Amendment rights
