/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.
The transgender bathroom issue — not even a blip on most political radars six weeks ago — is becoming, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s nurturing, something for Republicans to talk about when they tire of arguing about the presidential race. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/04/28/bathroomvoters.jpg)
Gov. Greg Abbott has made hundreds of appointments since he took office in January 2015, but is still working his way out of a backlog to replace people whose terms expired as long as five years ago. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/05/12/ShelbyKnowles-March_29_2016.jpg)
It’s not just that the Republicans have been winning presidential contests here for the past 40 years; the Democrats haven’t been gaining on them — except when strong independent candidates intervene. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/05/31/ClintonTrump-Split.jpg)
Most of the 218 races at the top of the state and federal sections of our general election ballots in November are not going to be competitive. Here's a look at those that are likely to be. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Redistricting_Map_Tweasers_jpg_800x1000_q100_1.jpg)
Should taxpayers pay severance to state employees to take the sting out of unexpected job losses or to protect the uncovered tails of the elected officeholders who fire them? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/02/02/6F6A8878.jpg)
If you’re the sort who rides your friends for shirking their civic duty by not voting, let up a bit. Tuesday’s was, by almost any measure, an election of limited statewide importance. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/PollingPlace.jpg)
On the eve of Election Day in 22 state runoff races — 16 of them following the Republican primaries — Texas voters seem to be concerned with other things. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/02/28/xVotingSigns1996_cms.jpg)
You already knew about Donald Trump’s reverence for Twitter, but it’s still surprising that a Texas judge known mainly for his funny tweets would land on the Republican presidential candidate’s list of possible U.S. Supreme Court nominees. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/05/19/JusticeWillet.jpg)
The more prescriptive a party platform becomes, the more it reads like a directive to the Legislature. In Texas, the GOP platform becomes a way to build the kind of grassroots support that can spur action from legislators. That, in turn, attracts lobbyists. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/05/14/Entrance_to_Convention_BD.jpg)
A Texas Supreme Court decision saying the state’s school funding system is a big, stinking mess — but not an unconstitutional one — might be just the medicine to keep things just the way they are. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/05/14/_BDA1900Aycock.jpg)