Politics
An investigation accused Matt Shea of domestic terrorism. He might stay in the WA Legislature anyway.
No consensus has emerged about whether to expel the GOP lawmaker from the state House, a rare form of discipline.
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
Latest work
Politics
This first-time candidate is positioned to topple a giant of the King County Council
In the biggest surprise of primary night, Girmay Zahilay received a majority of early votes against 25-year council veteran Larry Gossett. Here's how he did it.
Politics
Civil rights icon Larry Gossett goes from lion to longshot in his final election
Challenger Girmay Zahilay shocked the veteran King County Council member in the primary. Now, Gossett is trying to stage a comeback.
News
Washington state lawmakers said they were above public records law. The state Supreme Court just disagreed
Legislators will no longer be able to withhold documents that show how they're conducting the public's business.
Politics
Technology vs. privacy: Washington looks to regulate facial recognition tools in 2020
Sea-Tac Airport recently halted use of the technology. Now, lawmakers in Olympia are looking to adopt statewide rules.