Almost a month of has passed of the 2015 legislative session, and Republicans are once again showing that their ideas are not in tune with the priorities of Washington residents.

In honor of Super Bowl XLIX and the Seahawks’ opponents’ “Deflategate” scandal, we would like to call a penalty on these Top 5 “Deflated” ideas from the Republicans in Olympia.

#5 – Rolling back minimum wage requirements (SB 5514, SB 5421, SB 5422) and protections for injured workers (SB 5420, SB 5509, SB 5516, HB 1156)
We call pass interference on Republicans, who are working to block forward motion on measures to protect workers and make it harder for the middle class to keep up with the rising cost of living. Democrats know the best defense is a good offence, so they’re working to raise the minimum wage and create an economy that works for everybody.

#4 – Constructing barriers to voting by denying eligible voters the right to vote (HB 1210)
Time to blow the whistle on this personal foul, which would allow a volunteer election official to deny someone the right to vote and confuse voters by creating different voting laws in each county. Republicans in Washington are looking to their teammates across the country and duplicating their photo ID laws to make it harder to vote.


 
#3 – Repealing firearms background check requirements approved by voters this past November (SB  5615, HB 1245)
In a move of unnecessary roughness, Republicans are working against the will of the people and trying to repeal Initiative 594. They need to stick to the gameplan laid out by Washington voters and stop their full-frontal attack on the safety of our community.

#2 – Passing laws that would decide personal health decisions that should be left to a woman, her faith, and her doctor (SB 5289, HB 1494)
We throw the flag on Republicans for too many men on the field for this effort to stand between a woman and her doctor when it comes to private medical decisions. Democrats are giving 110% to block this pass, standing up for the right of a woman to decide what’s best for her health and her family.

#1 – Dividing Washington in half along the Cascade Mountains making two separate state for eastern and western Washington (House Bill 1818)
In a bizarre case of offsides, Republicans want to move the line of scrimmage and divide our state in two. Democrats are team players who are looking for ways to unite our state behind the values we all share: caring for our kids, building a secure future, and getting a shot at the American dream.

Go Hawks!