After more than a decade of fomenting suspicions about the voting process, Texas GOP leaders find themselves called upon to defend the overall integrity of a process that has delivered most of the political system to their party over the very same time period, write James Henson and Joshua Blank of the Texas Politics Project.
Robert Inks
Robert Inks was the night news editor at the Tribune from 2015 to 2018. Before joining the Tribune, Robert copy edited for several newspapers in and outside Texas. He also was a writer and editor for online global affairs website Stratfor and a project manager for newspaper publisher GateHouse Media. Robert is an Austin native and a UT-Austin graduate.
New in TribTalk: Trump and immigrants
Texas has long been a place of hope for immigrants of all ages, origins, eras and beliefs — contrary to the Republican presidential nominee’s divisive rhetoric, writes recent Lone Star State transplant Joseph Kopser.
New in TribTalk: The future of Texas water
With our state’s population expected to grow by nearly 10 million people by 2030, now is the time to get our water planning processes right, write Jennifer Walker and Tom Spencer of the Texas Living Waters Project.
New in TribTalk: Trump and Texas
Polling data suggest the attitudes sustaining Donald Trump’s candidacy in Texas will continue to play a role in GOP politics in Texas regardless of the future of the candidate himself, write James Henson and Joshua Blank of the Texas Politics Project.
New in TribTalk: Medicaid and Texas
Medicaid and Obamacare are already failing. Texas should retain its focus on fostering an economic environment that creates a path to self-sufficiency, write John Colyandro and Tom Aldred of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute.
New in TribTalk: Dignity for fetal remains
A new proposed rule will preserve the right of the youngest Texans to be treated with dignity by requiring fetal remains from abortions and miscarriages to be buried or cremated, write Rep. Jodie Laubenberg and Catherine Glenn Foster.
New in TribTalk: Ending sanctuary cities
Sanctuary policies endanger public safety, fuel illegal immigration, waste millions of dollars and conflict with federal law, writes Austin Tea Party organizer Dean Wright.
New in TribTalk: Cutting out the car-sales middleman
Buying a car isn’t easy, and the law in Texas doesn’t make it any easier, writes Josiah Neeley of the R Street Institute.
New in TribTalk: Against Medicaid expansion
Overinflated promises being made for expansion of Texas’ Medicaid program remind us of two time-proven adages: “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” and “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch,” writes Dr. Deane Waldman for the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
New in TribTalk: Voter registration
This year’s successes in voter registration came in spite of our state’s archaic and outdated voter registration system, not because of it, writes Mimi Marziani of the Texas Civil Rights Project.


