Reading the Tea Leaves, Three Years Later
Three years ago, Gov. Rick Perry got his first real look at the Tea Party movement, and now he says he wants to "get it into the groundwater." Full Story
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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.
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![Texas Gov. Rick Perry addresses a crowd estimated at 1,000 at a tax day "tea party" April 15 at City Hall to protest federal government stimulus programs]()
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Campaign Chatter
It's 2012, but everybody wants to talk about 2014. Full Story
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Fight Card: Primaries to Watch
The top of the ballot is weird this year. The heat might be local this time. Full Story
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Life of a Texas Lawmaker: Lousy Pay, Great Benefits
The pay for Texas lawmakers is low, but the pension benefits are sweet. Some say, though, that lawmakers who break the law should have to forfeit their pensions. Full Story
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Who's Conservative? New Group Ranks Lawmakers
The Texas Conservative Roundtable's first legislative rankings are out, and the group has a different view of who is conservative and who isn't than some others who rank lawmakers. Full Story
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Two for the Ages: Rivals of Hall, Johnson Walk a Fine Line in Primary Races
Voters don't seem to mind the gray hair on their incumbents in two North Texas districts, but Ralph Hall and Sam Johnson seem to attract competitors who think they've passed retirement age. Full Story
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TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
The first two parts of M. Smith's series on failing school districts (plus Murphy and Seger's interactive on how districts' characteristics relate to ratings), Root on lagging GOP candidates for president trying to shore things up in Texas, Ramshaw on a "fiscal switcheroo" to get federal money for women's health programs, Galbraith talks to a West Texas farmer about crop insurance and climate change and Aguilar on the money behind a lawsuit on long rifle sales: The best of our best content from April 2 to 6, 2012. Full Story
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Campaign Chatter
The filings are in, the candidates are raising money and looking for support. It is finally primary season in Texas. Full Story
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Hot Spots on the Primary Ballots
A handful of races in the congressional delegation and the Texas Senate and more than three dozen in House primaries are likely to get most of the attention between now and May 29, when Texans vote. Full Story
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Bernard Rapoport, 1917-2012
Bernard Rapoport, an outspoken liberal and a stalwart of Texas Democratic politics, died late last night in Waco. He was 94. Full Story
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Credit: The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation
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