/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.
Ray Perry’s son apparently learned a little something at home from the county commissioner. As governor, Rick Perry is at his best — and many Perry haters will grudgingly confirm this — when there’s a hurricane, a tornado, a flood or other natural disaster. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8976271e7d3411c162e76ed3dad1e069/BD%20INC%20Bastrop%20Fires%20Tired%20Perry%202011)
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, is still in the maybe column in the race to replace U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. But Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, says he won't run for that federal job; he might be looking instead at the lieutenant governor's post in 2014. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0a0bd19a9e59fbf74c09220c1897e2e2/BD%20INC%20Patrick%2001%20CMS%202011)
Don't expect a redistricting ruling out of San Antonio quickly. Some of the lawyers — and this requires more lawyers than a Hollywood divorce — say the Texas judges might hold their ruling until the DC courts are finished. That could be November, or even December. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/RedistrictingAndLaw.jpg)
In which our insiders ponder the governor's performance in his first presidential debate, and what the outcome might be. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2012_GOP_DebateStill.jpg)
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul's combination of personal wealth and a political straddle between the establishment and dissident factions in the GOP could make him a viable contender for the seat now held by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1b338b0153eab6ae9b7a606807229a8d/DO%20NOT%20USE%20Michael%20McCaul%2001%202011)
Christi Craddick, daughter of former House speaker and current state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, on why she wants to run for the Texas Railroad Commission, whether her dad's politics will get in the way, and why the oil and gas industry needs her as a regulator. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Craddick-1.jpg)
The state's new political maps are now in the hands of the federal government. An army of lawyers lined up before the start of federal hearings on Tuesday, lugging boxes of papers and briefcases bulging with the scribbled notes and other arguments they'll present over the next two weeks. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Redistricting_Map_Tweasers.jpg)
Because — as both Democrats and Republicans know well — the drawing of congressional, legislative and State Board of Education district lines determines, to a large extent, the outcomes of future elections. Full Story
In this week's edition of our nonscientific survey of political and government insiders, we asked who the state's 31 senators would pluck from their own ranks to run the Senate, and perhaps to serve as governor, should the state's top officials move on to bigger and better things. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo.png){kind=logo}
Aaronson on the stats behind the Texas Miracle, Aguilar on an area of the budget that didn't get cut during the session, Dehn and Tan wrap-up our 31 Days, 31 Ways project, Galbraith talks to Todd Staples about the drought, Grissom on controversial executions during Rick Perry's tenure (plus a visualization by Murphy and Seger), Hamilton on the Rodney Dangerfield of Texas universities, Philpott on the search for clues in past Perry debates, Ramshaw on Perry's opposition to abortion rights and Root on Perry's assurances to conservatives that his past won't embarrass them: The best of our best content from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek_0830_2011.jpg)