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Ross Ramsey

Ross Ramsey’s staff photo

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.

Latest Contributions

  • Instant Maps

    By Ross Ramsey

    Kel Seliger decided to run the redistricting marathon by saving up his energy until the end and then running a sprint. The Amarillo Republican's Senate Redistricting Committee met less than three weeks before end of the session to consider Senate district maps that had at that point been public for less than 24 hours. He told members — this was on Thursday — that they had until 5 p.m. to get their amendments to him and to make sure they were legally vetted and so on. And he said he planned to vote on the plan, along with a House plan already approved on the other side of the rotunda, on Friday. That sets up a full Senate vote for as early as next week. Full Story 

  • Situation Normal

    By Ross Ramsey

    The House has blown its stack and made up again a couple of times since our last conversation, all within the rules, and all — if you take a long view of things —right on schedule. Senators, who had a group conniption fit last week, have remained clear to partly cloudy and calm. Full Story 

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville's ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state's pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don't rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • Interactive: Texas Senate Redistricting Maps

    By Ross Ramsey and Matt Stiles

    State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, unveiled his proposed Senate redistricting maps this week and opened hearings on them on Thursday with a vote possible Friday. Use our interactive maps to see the proposed changes and who would be affected. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Matt Stiles/Texas Legislative Council

  • New Senate District Maps Proposed

    By Ross Ramsey

    Travis County would get two new out-of-town senators, and Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, would be squeezed into a district designed for a Republican, in political maps proposed by Senate Redistricting Chairman Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo. Full Story 

    State Sen. Kel Seliger (r), R-Amarillo, explains an issue to Sen Juan Hinojosa (l), D-McAllen, on April 18, 2011.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Is David Dewhurst Goofy — or Goofy Like a Fox?

    By Ross Ramsey

    It’s funny that you can win four statewide elections and still have people think you’re a goofball, in over your head. But maybe Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s fumbles leading to the Texas Senate’s budget vote give the lie to that. Maybe he’s goofy like a fox. Full Story 

    Lt. Governor David Dewhurst listens to members after the Texas Senate voted, 19-12, to pass the budget on May 4, 2011.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich