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• House Democrats Aiming to Get Back Into the Game

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 18, 2013

  In 2011, Texas House Democrats were dejected, demoralized and badly outnumbered. Their numbers have improved. Now the question is whether they can move as a bloc. Full Story 

• Straus on Priorities; More Campaign Woes for Dewhurst

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 15, 2013

  The speaker of the House dampens expectations for vouchers, tax breaks and transportation without ruling any of those things out. And the lieutenant governor unpeels another layer of problems he says arose from a campaign manager's embezzling. Full Story 

• Inside Intelligence: About School Finance...

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 12, 2013

  For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in politics and government, we asked about the recent school finance ruling, and whether it will be upheld, whether it will result in tax increases, and who — if anyone — will get the blame for the consequences. Full Story 

• Perry Targets California Businesses, and Jerry Brown Isn't Impressed

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 11, 2013

  Rick Perry wants to lure businesses from California to Texas. Jerry Brown wants to keep them in California. It's an entertaining partisan and cultural battle, but with substance at its core. Full Story 

• TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 9, 2013

  M. Smith on the decision that Texas school funding is unconstitutional, E. Smith’s TribLive conversation with House Speaker Joe Straus, Rocha and Dehn’s look at how Texas got its current ethics laws, Ramshaw peeks into the lobby’s bag of gifts for lawmakers, Batheja finds state lawmakers who lobby other government entities, KUT’s Philpott on federal health care in Texas, Murphy reveals the geography of House committee assignments, Hamilton on a Caribbean medical school that wants to operate in Texas, Grissom at a court of inquiry on a murder prosecutor’s conduct, Aguilar on a decision that allows an open-pit coal mine to operate on the state’s Mexican border and Aaronson’s report on legislative inquiries about the state’s cancer prevention agency: The best of our best for the week of Feb. 4, 2012. Full Story 

• Some Lawmakers and Lobbyists Tied by Blood

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 8, 2013

  In a state capital where moving from the Legislature to the lobby — and, sometimes, the other way — is unremarkable, it’s also common to find the relatives of lawmakers lobbying the state government. Full Story 

• Signs of Legislative Motion

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 7, 2013

  Lawmakers are diving into the state budget, figuring out which parts of the governor's State of the State speech they liked and didn't like, and watching out of the corners of their eyes at the latest in the 2014 race for governor. Full Story 

• Inside Intelligence: About Perry's New Proposals...

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 5, 2013

  For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked for the legislative odds on some of the ideas in Gov. Rick Perry's State of the State speech. According to the insiders, he had some winners and some losers. Full Story 

• Good Times or Bad, the Budget Remains Tight

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 4, 2013

  When money was tight two years ago, the state's top budget writers employed cutbacks and accounting tricks to balance the budget. Money is flowing again, but the budget folks are still finding it easy to say no. Full Story 

• Searching for Clues in Perry's State of the State

  By Ross Ramsey Feb. 1, 2013

  The governor stayed away from social issues and some obvious hot-button topics in his State of the State speech this week. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a political speech. Full Story