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.
Dan Morales, a former Texas attorney general who served time in federal prison, wants the state to look over some sealed documents that he thinks might be worth a lot of money. The hard part is finding someone who will listen. Full Story
In a new ad touting his re-election campaign and his KeepItRed website, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, imagines a Texas gone blue. Spoiler alert: He doesn't think it would be a utopian state. Full Story
Aaronson on health insurance rates in Texas, Aguilar on the next chapter of an El Paso political fight, Grissom reports on the latest fallout from a wrongful murder conviction, Hamilton on freelance coach recruiting at the University of Texas, MacLaggan reports some unexpected census numbers, Malewitz explores a perennial disconnect between voters and regulators, KUT’s Philpott on what a government shutdown would mean for Texas, Rocha visits West to check on rebuilding after a fertilizer plant explosion, Satija on a bird that has Texas ranchers grousing and E. Smith’s TribLive interview on the state water plan: The best of our best for the week of Sept. 23-27, 2013. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday said he had appointed Houston's Jeff Brown to an open spot on the Texas Supreme Court. Brown, a former state district judge, is currently a justice on Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals. Full Story
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in politics and government, we asked about 2014’s race for lieutenant governor, whether a prominent Democrat will get in and how she’ll fare, and about the four-way race for the Republican nomination. Full Story
Katy Republican Bill Callegari said Monday he won't seek another term in the Texas House, bringing to 12 the number of state representatives who won't be up for re-election in 2014. Full Story
Democrats are looking for candidates who might fill out their 2014 ticket, including San Antonio state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who is thinking about it — with reservations. Full Story
M. Smith drops in on state textbook hearings, E. Smith interviews Tom Pauken, Satija on water rationing along the Colorado River, Root probes Dan Patrick’s unexpected investment, KUT’s Philpott sorts out clinic closings, Murphy maps the latest census data, MacLaggan on a welcome turn in poverty, Malewitz finds a race for energy efficiency, Hamilton reports on better grades for Sul Ross, Grissom on bad grades for the death penalty, Batheja on Debra Medina’s dilemma, Aguilar on the glum forecast for immigration reform and Aaronson looks at the latest hurdle for Obamacare: The best of our best for the week of Sept. 16-20, 2013. Full Story