politics
Joe Nguyen challenging Dow Constantine for King County executive
Nguyen, a state senator from West Seattle, says Washington's most populous county needs a change in leadership.
Melissa Santos
Melissa Santos is formerly a Crosscut staff reporter who covered state politics and the Legislature. She came to Crosscut from The Seattle Times editorial board, where she wrote columns and opinion pi
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politics
Eight big things the Washington State Legislature passed in 2021
A new capital-gains tax, a slate of police accountability bills and new limits on carrying guns at protests are just a few of the things that state lawmakers approved.
politics
Why new taxes are likely even as Washington is flush with cash
Democratic lawmakers say now is the moment to fix the state’s regressive tax code, which they say unfairly burdens low-income people.
politics
5 times WA lawmakers failed at working remotely in 2021
Online governing and the state Legislature didn’t always mix as lawmakers went remote during the pandemic.
politics
The future of WA transportation hinges on carbon pricing debate
Top legislators want to put a price on carbon to raise money for transportation projects. But with time running out, they can’t agree on the details.