Washington state Republicans needed a Freedom Caucus. So I helped form it
Re: “Four Washington state senators form ‘Freedom Caucus,’” (TNT, 2/5).
Since we announced the formation of the state Legislature’s new Freedom Caucus, many have asked two questions: Why? And how is the Freedom Caucus different than the Senate Republican Caucus?
The answers are simple. First, the formation of a separate caucus to focus on a particular issue or agenda is not new. Our Democrat colleagues have a Caucus of Color and an LGBTQ Caucus.
The Freedom Caucus welcomes any like-minded lawmakers who will advocate for lower taxes, greater freedom, and respect for our state and federal constitutions.
In our view, individual liberties in our state are under attack — not through some vast, secret conspiracy, but rather a very public, creeping and bureaucratic erosion of rights.
Every day we see new limitations on personal freedom, expansions of executive power and new policy proposals aimed at reducing the ability of individuals to pursue their own version of the American Dream.
These changes have been magnified by the state’s response to COVID-19 and the dictatorial administrative rules emanating from Olympia.
The assaults on freedom and opportunity over the past 10 months, which have been nothing short of chilling, are what spurred the establishment of the Freedom Caucus.
Last April we started to call attention to the governor’s abuse of power and called for a special legislative session to stop the ceding of legislative authority to the executive branch.
In May, Freedom Caucus members took the next step with a news conference calling for a special session and urging our colleagues to quit extending the governor’s proclamations without full legislative approval.
While many of us agreed with the point of the proclamations, the problem was not being able to represent the people of our districts and give a voice to small businesses the governor was targeting.
Over the next few weeks, the rest of the Republican caucus and many of the state’s newspapers joined the chorus.
During the first week of this year’s legislative session, majority Democrats caved to the executive branch instead of unifying to assert legislative authority and preserve the people’s representation in Olympia.
In the meantime, businesses have been shuttered and those that remained open had to live under the governor’s ever-changing web of complex rules and unattainable metrics, assaults by unaccountable state agencies and threats of fines for those who’ve attempted to save their livelihoods.
The elected representatives of the people have been sidelined, leaving our constituents without a voice.
My Freedom Caucus colleagues and I are committed Republicans and active members of the Senate Republican Caucus. Leadership of the SRC, however, has to focus on a much larger slate of policies, issues and geography among its 21 members.
And while one Democrat, Tim Sheldon from Mason County, caucuses with Republicans, many Democrats are unwilling to break with their party, even when they know that their leadership’s policies hurt their constituents.
The Freedom Caucus is focused on pushing back against destructive policies that limit individual freedom, using every tool at our disposal to highlight those from a lens of individual liberty.
As a non-partisan caucus, we are open to working with Democrats, Independents and others who share our goal of protecting Washingtonians’ constitutional rights.
Gov. Jay Inslee and the Democrat majority in the Legislature have refused to listen to the people of this state. This, above all else, is why we have formed the Freedom Caucus.
While small in number we have been successful in drawing attention to our agenda and effecting some change in Olympia.
We are a voice for life, liberty, and prosperity – a voice for all Washingtonians and their right to be heard.
Sen. Phil Fortunato is an Auburn Republican and represents the 31st Legislative District., which includes parts of Pierce and King counties. Reach him by email at phil.fortunato@leg.wa.gov