/https://static.texastribune.org/media/profiles/ramsey-ross_TT.jpg)
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.
It's been a long time since the Legislature took a good, hard look at its ethics laws and its own practices. With the Texas Ethics Commission up for review, a restive electorate and a herd of new lawmakers, they have a golden opportunity. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Cleaning-Capitol-Bidness.jpg)
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst filled out his committee assignments late Friday afternoon, supplementing the chairmanship shuffle he announced late last year. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Dewhurst-1.jpg)
The legislative session just started, but it seems clear that state leaders are running low on what a former president from Texas once called "the vision thing." Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d21ba4db6c4d9f95903645b923856e99/BD%20INC%20Three%20Amigos%20454%202013)
For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked questions about the budget, about how lawmakers will spend the money they've got, the chances for a business tax, and the outlook for other fiscal proposals. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo-Hahn-sponsorship.jpg){kind=logo}
The co-founder of the Hispanic Republicans of Texas political action committee on his first planned run for office, divisions in the GOP, Hispanics and Republicans, and why he's getting into the family business. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Groege-P-Bush.jpg)
Batheja on growing calls for infrastructure spending, Dehn and Rocha report on voters’ legislative wishes, Murphy counts noses in the new Legislature, KUT’s Philpott sniffs out a push for tax relief, M. Smith tracks House Speaker Joe Straus after his re-election, Kalifa’s lovely time-lapse look at the Legislature’s first day, Aaronson on the Medicaid expansion, Aguilar on hopes for immigration reform, Grissom on the tribulations of Kerry Max Cook, Hamilton looks into a college curriculum battle, and E. Smith’s TribLive interview with Michael Williams: The best of our best for the week of Jan. 7, 2013. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/01072012-Tribweek.jpg)
The two-year-old revenue forecast used to justify massive cuts in the current state budget was wrong — and not by a little bit. But the conservative Legislature elected in 2010 wasn't complaining. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/39489f187f474be36ae6ebf65deae166/BD%20INC%20Combs%20Budget%2002%202013)
In a wide-ranging interview, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst talked about the state budget, education, immigration, water, transportation, and his hopes and plans for the legislative session that began this week. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Dewhurst-2.jpg)
House Speaker Joe Straus won another term in that position after his challenger, Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, withdrew from the race. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/65103f00e96617a52c119d8bc1125249/BD%20INC%20Straus%20Speakers%20Race%2001%202013)
The Legislature is back for the 83rd time, and we've refreshed our directory of statewide officials and legislators. Many of the old names are here, and so are the names of the numerous freshmen. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/ElectedOfficials-Lead.jpg)