Sen. Jamie Pedersen, Rep. Brady Walkinshaw, and House Speaker Frank Chopp. (Image: 43rd District Democrats)

Capitol Hill’s state legislators are sounding the alarm about a severe budget battle gearing up in 2016, and they say Seattle’s low voter turnout is partially to blame.

When the State Legislature convenes January 11th, it will do so under the close watch of the State Supreme Court, which ruled in the 2012 McLeary v State of Washington decision that the state was violating the constitution by underfunding public education. While 43rd District’s reps say the Legislature is making progress, but finding $3.5 billion for teacher compensation by 2017 remains a big hurdle.

That alone would be enough suck up most of the energy in Olympia. Compounding the problem is I-1366, the Tim Eyman-backed initiative passed by a slim margin of voters November 3rd. The initiative requires legislators pass a rule that requires a two-thirds vote for increasing taxes or drastically decrease the sales tax rate from 6.5% to 5.5%. If legislators cut the sales tax, that excises some $1.5 billion per year from the state budget.

“We’re likely to have to be on a huge defense,” said Sen. Jamie Pedersen, who was joined by House Speaker Frank Chopp and Rep. Brady Walkinshaw at the November meeting of the 43rd District Democrats.

The roughly 44,000 votes that put I-1366 over the edge makes the thorn especially sharp for state representatives in Seattle, where a slightly higher voter turnout could have killed it. In King County, where the measure was resoundingly rejected, just under 40% of registered voters submitted ballots. According to Pedersen, the best hope for progressives in Olympia is that the courts intervene. Last week the Supreme Court paved the way for the initiative to be challenged.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for the 43rd’s legislative team. Walkinshaw, who lives on Capitol Hill, said he hoped to advance environmental legislation this year, including a carbon cap-and-trade program. “We will finally put a price on carbon and make polluters pay,” he said, adding that bolstering solar incentives program was also a top environmental priority.

Since he took office, Walkinshaw has made tackling heroin addiction a top priority. Hoping to build on the success of one of his signature bills from last session, the recently wed legislator said he would continue to look for way to expand access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse the deadly effects of a heroin overdose.

Another one of Walkinshaw’s most notable accomplishments from last year’s session had a direct Capitol Hill tie. Joel’s Law, inspired by the 2013 death of Joel Reuter on Capitol Hill, strengthened involuntarily commitment guidelines for people suffering from mental illness.

Chopp said he was working on a set of emergency funding measures that would include money for housing for the mentally ill and mental health treatment. After he helped push a $12 minimum wage bill through the House only to have it fail in the Senate, Chopp said he wants to keep pushing for the higher wage in 2016. Following House Speaker custom, Chopp does not sponsor any bills himself.

This year, Pedersen’s Senate committee assignments include ranking member of Law and Justice, Financial Institutions & Insurance, and Transportation. Walkinshaw will sit on the House’s Early Learning & Human Services, Appropriations, and Judiciary committees. CHS will be following their efforts as bills get introduced in the coming weeks.