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  • Sorting It All Out

    By Ross Ramsey

    The governor's race is just what you expected: Republican Rick Perry and Democrat Bill White. Perry starts with the power of incumbency and the state's 16-year-old preference for Republicans over Democrats in statewide office. White starts with the advantage of non-incumbency — don't snort at that — and the ability to run a more serious and well-financed campaign than anyone in his party has run in some time. Five independents have signed up, and the Libertarians will choose their candidate in June. Full Story 

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Our obsessive-compulsive election day and next day coverage: frenetically updated county-by-county maps and up-to-the-minute returns in every race on the ballot, Hu's awesome crowdsourced liveblog, Ramshaw on the twenty surprise outcomes, Aguilar on recount possibilities and dead incumbents, M. Smith on how judicial races turned out, Rapoport on changes at the SBOE and who was elected before the first vote was cast, Thevenot on whether the GOP has a problem with Hispanics, Hamilton on how the Tea Party fared, Grissom and Ramshaw on the legislative and congressional mop-up, Ramsey on what happens now, Stiles on how much candidates spent per vote; and my post-primary debrief with Rick Perry's pollster and George W. Bush's former strategist. The best of our best from March 1 to 5, 2010. Full Story 

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  • TribBlog: Insurance Department Could Ban Discretionary Clauses

    By Emily Ramshaw

    The Texas Department of Insurance has drafted rules that would ban health insurance policies from including so-called “discretionary clauses.” Those are the rules that many patients hate, which allow their health insurers to decide exactly what they cover and what they don’t — and give the insurers a degree of protection from litigation. Full Story 

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  • 2010: Sibley, Standing By

    By Ross Ramsey

    Former state Sen. David Sibley, R-Waco, is talking to people about getting back into the Legislature when Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, gets out. But he's not out yet, and there are two exits. Full Story 

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  • A Medicaid Mess

    By Alexa Garcia-Ditta

    Texas' senior care industry — still reeling from federal Medicare cuts — may face another financial blow, as the state considers reducing Medicaid provider rates to balance the budget in the face of a $10 billion-plus shortfall. Full Story 

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  • Data App: How Much Votes Cost

    By Matt Stiles

    Was Farouk Shami, in fact, "on fire"? The Democratic gubernatorial candidate burned through campaign cash, spending $135 for every vote he received in Tuesday's primary on the way to getting trounced by Bill White — more than any other candidate on the ballot, and by far the most of any losing candidate. By contrast, Democratic land commissioner hopeful Bill Burton spent only 2 cents per vote in a narrow loss to Hector Uribe, who spent only 7 cents per vote himself. All told, candidates spent, on average, about $14 per vote. Explore each campaign's bang for the buck in our latest data application. Full Story 

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    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • TribBlog: Texas Unemployment Rises

    By Ross Ramsey

    More than 1 million Texans were unemployed in January, according to new numbers from the Texas Workforce Commission. Unemployment in the state hit 8.6 percent in January, up from 8 percent the month before and 6.8 percent in January 2009. The comparable national rate was 10.6 percent. Full Story 

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