Politics and Government

Rinck holds the mic on the Vermillion stage. She has long dark hair and a nose piercing.

Rinck Backs Capitol Hill Crisis Center, Other Seattle Officials Coy

King County is seeking to site a walk-in mental health crisis center in Capitol Hill, but a group of local business owners and residents are pushing back. Health care providers have backed the location, and Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has emerged as a vocal proponent, while her colleagues and Mayor Bruce Harrell have mostly withheld support.
Two Link trains at an at-grade station in the Rainier Valley

Seattle Council To Pave the Way for Sound Transit 3 Permitting

Two votes next week will align the City of Seattle with Sound Transit, opening the door to West Seattle Link Extension permit applications later this year. The move comes right on the heels of an overhaul of the city's land use code's light rail provisions.
The Capitol building in Olympia is marble colored and include pillars and a dome in the classic style.

Op-Ed: How to De-Trumpify the Washington State Budget

The mega wealthy are gaining even greater wealth thanks to Trump tax cuts while hundreds of thousands people are set to lose health care, food stamps, child care, and K-12 educational necessities. The Washington State Legislature should pass progressive funding to maintain and rebuild public services, John Burbank argues.
Katie Wilson a red button-up shirt with a navy sweater. Zohran wears a blue suit and a light blue shirt. He wears a beard and a smile.

Op-Ed: Katie Wilson is the Zohran Mamdani of Seattle

Progressive mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s victory in Tuesday's Democratic primary is a watershed moment for New York City, and Seattle is on the cusp of its own watershed moment with the opportunity to elect Katie Wilson, a progressive who would break a long run of timid centrist leadership.
Balducci has her glasses up on her head and smiles. She stands in front of a forest.

Balducci Claims County Executive Race Lead, John Wilson Mired in Scandal

The race for King County Executive is heating up, and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci says that she has the edge based on her internal polling. King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay came in a close second in the poll, and King County Assessor John Wilson was a distant third, weighted down by stalking and harassment allegations.

Bellevue Council Approves Scaled-Back Middle Housing Code

A narrow four-member majority caved to housing opponents as the Bellevue City Council finalized zoning changes impacting the city's lower density residential areas. Scaling back an ambitious proposal that increased flexibility for builders, Bellevue is only set to exceed the state minimum in a few areas.

Rinck, Harrell Propose Progressive Business Tax Overhaul to Bolster Seattle Budget

On Wednesday, Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck unveiled a proposal overhauling the city's Business and Occupation tax that she hopes to put before voters this November – if she can win over her colleagues. Dubbed the Seattle Shield Initiative, it would broaden the exemption for small businesses, but raise taxes on larger businesses.
Sara Nelson holds a microphone and wears a white button-up shirts. She sits a long table next to Alexis Rinck, who wears a black blazer and hoop earrings.

Seattle Council Candidates Spar at Mobility and Housing Forum

Check out the key takeaways from the Seattle City Council candidate forum focused on mobility and housing issues that happened earlier this month. An urbanist consensus emerged among some, but not all issues.