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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.
The governor is busy touting the accomplishments of the recently ended Texas legislative session while inadvertently reminding his Twitter followers of one of his administration's errors. Full Story
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The conservative groups who made a feast of former House Speaker Joe Straus for 10 years have a new target: Straus successor Dennis Bonnen. Full Story
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The president's threat to impose tariffs unless Mexico stops the flow of migrants into the U.S. has put Texas Republicans in a tough spot — choosing between their loyalty to Donald Trump and their worries about tariff's effects on the Texas economy. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott added David Whitley to his state staff after Texas Senate Democrats refused to confirm Whitley as secretary of state. Whitley's handling of a botched voter citizenship review undermined his Senate support. But isn't the hiring a sign that the governor didn't mind? Full Story
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Is Texas really a swing state? To explore the question, we looked at nearly 20 years of election data to assess the competitiveness of every congressional and legislative district in the state. Take a tour of some of the state's hot spots and then type in your address to find out the lay of the land in your districts. Full Story
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Lawmakers are gone, and the legislative season is over. Cue up the 2020 elections! Full Story
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The marked difference between the 86th Legislature and its predecessors followed an election year that changed politicians' minds about who deserved their attention. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature did a lot in the 86th regular session, especially if you judge by their spending. Full Story
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Lawmakers delivered on their promises of school finance and property tax reforms, agreeing to spend $11.6 billion on a combination of education changes and tax cuts. It's big, but is it really "transformative"? Full Story
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Even in a legislative session that began with estimates of a generous increase in state revenue, lawmakers spent a lot of time talking about big, big tax bills — all the way to the end. Full Story
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