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Ross Ramsey co-founded The Texas Tribune in 2009 and served as its executive editor until his retirement in 2022. He wrote regular columns on politics, government and public policy. Before joining the Tribune, he was editor and co-owner of Texas Weekly. He did a 28-month stint in government with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Before that, he reported for the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Times Herald, as a Dallas-based freelancer for regional and national magazines and newspapers, and for radio stations in Denton and Dallas.
In a state where an estimated 30% of the state's 5.5 million public school students don't have the right technology for online learning, switching to virtual classrooms is daunting. And expensive. Full Story
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When general election voting starts in two months, Texas voters will know some things they don't know today to help them make decisions, like what actually happens when you open public schools or allow college football to proceed. Full Story
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School openings, government hearings, going to bars, voting, shopping, even the doings at the Texas Capitol hinge on the same issues: whether it’s safe to gather, and how to go about it. Full Story
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During a pandemic, an economic recession and public protests against racial injustice and police violence, it's hard to say what Texas voters will be thinking about in this year's election. Here's a candidate: Reopening schools. Full Story
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The Legislature starts its next regular session in January and can meet for up to 140 days. That gives lawmakers time to consider more than 6,000 bills. During a pandemic, they might want to do a lot less. Full Story
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Local governments in Texas finish their spending plans and set their tax rates in August, an annual exercise that includes some hot topics in this pandemic year, like police spending, public schools and property taxes. Full Story
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President Donald Trump tweeted about delaying the November election, and in the process, launched an attack on whether anyone should trust the results when the votes are tallied. Full Story
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Rural Texans have been clamoring for high-speed internet services for years, and the requirements of a pandemic — work, schools and medicine — have raised the stakes. But a state fund that helps provide those services is in financial trouble. Full Story
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The Trump administration wants to exclude undocumented immigrants from the population counts used to determine seats in Congress, an idea that would cut into the strength of the Texas delegation to Washington, D.C. Full Story
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The dire financial forecast from the Texas comptroller says a lot about the pandemic's harsh impact on the economy. It's based on uncertain assumptions about what will happen next — and could easily change again. Full Story
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