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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.
Speaker Joe Straus won his leadership post with the support of Democrats — which gives some conservatives fits. If his just-announced challenger, David Simpson, builds a similar bipartisan coalition, can he hold on to conservative support? Full Story
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State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, filed papers to challenge Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, for speaker of the House, he said in a letter to colleagues Monday morning. Shortly after, state Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, dropped out of the speaker's race and endorsed Simpson. Full Story
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The "late train" — the rush of supplicants making kiss-and-make-up contributions after an election — ended this weekend with the beginning of a blackout that outlaws political donations during a legislative session. Full Story
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Imagine a government as accountable to voters for its performance as football coaches are to the ire of fans and boosters. Full Story
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As he enters the last regular session of this term as governor, Rick Perry opts for a trusted supporter in a top political job and a respected agency manager to run his own office. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has at least one opponent in his bid for a third term in that job, but the circumstances that undid his predecessors in the post don't exist now. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about big-ticket infrastructure issues — whether lawmakers will approve any of them and where they might look for money. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry's control of the executive branch after 12 years in office is well established. But he's made hundreds of judicial appointments, too. Full Story
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Aguilar on Kay Bailey Hutchison’s immigration proposal and an answer to it, Batheja on the rise of toll roads and Murphy’s interactive toll road map, Galbraith on the pushback against “smart” electricity meters, Grissom on snitches in criminal trials, Hamilton finds Florida following Texas on cheap degrees, KUT’s Philpott looks at the next state budget debate, Ramshaw examines efforts to get a medical school in South Texas, E. Smith corners Todd Hunter and Blake Farenthold, and M. Smith takes a look at the state’s report card on high school dropouts: The best of our best from Nov. 26 to 30, 2012. Full Story
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Freshman legislators are getting their first look at Washington and Austin, and the differences are as clear as red and blue. Full Story
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