This item was originally posted yesterday. State Sen. Ed Murray weighed in today, so we've updated it (again) and moved it up.

PubliCola had a conversation with state House speaker Frank Chopp yesterday about the upcoming legislative session. When we asked him whether Seattle Mayor-Elect Mike McGinn's opposition to the downtown tunnel would shift the debate about the tunnel in Olympia, Chopp chuckled.

"Mayor-Elect McGinn and I have both been in agreement opposed to the tunnel. We don't think it's a good idea. That's one of the topics we decided to talk about the next time we get together. We didn't get into specifics, but we said we’re both opposed to that deep-bore tunnel. I find it good news that we’re both in agreement."

Last session, Chopp supported legislation putting Seattle on the hook for any cost overruns on the tunnel and limiting the state's contribution to $2.4 billion. ("That [provision] was the only reason that [tunnel funding] bill passed," he says.)

State Senator Ed Murray, however, disagrees. Murray told PubliCola the tunnel legislation "passed despite the language sticking it to Seattle taxpayers. At one point the Governor had to talk me out of killing the viaduct bill (my bill) because without the House language Frank would have killed it."

Murray added, "If there is a federal transportation stimulus package with this [cost overrun] language those dollars won't be coming to Seattle."

McGinn initially made opposition to the tunnel the centerpiece of his campaign, then amended his position, saying he would not "stand in the way" of the tunnel.

Through an email from transition team staffer Aaron Pickus, McGinn told PubliCola, “It’s no secret that I think the deep-bore tunnel is a horrible idea.  As I stated after the City Council voted 9-0 to support the tunnel, as mayor I could not disregard the position taken by the Council.  However, responsibility for cost overruns was not addressed by the City Council and it needs to be resolved before proceeding with the tunnel.”