Paxton’s legal troubles are increasing in volume, at just about the time an officeholder in his position would be thinking about the next round of elections.
Ross Ramsey
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.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: A Star-Spangled culture war in Texas
What gets the state’s unusually subdued lieutenant governor to stand up and take notice? Not playing the national anthem at Dallas Mavericks games, as it turns out. The first culture clash of the 2021 legislative session is underway.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: A delay in drawing new maps this year could slow next year’s elections
Delays in the delivery of court-approved political maps have disrupted past elections in Texas. And this year’s pandemic-related delays in the U.S. census have raised the possibility of jumbled election plans in 2022.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: Texas tries to make the connections on broadband internet
Texans stuck at home need high-speed internet for schooling, for work, for shopping, for medicine, for entertainment — the live, in-person activities we all took for granted a year ago. Sounds simple enough, but there’s a lot to untangle.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: 2021’s low-key Texas government
The slow start to the legislative session reflects the public declarations of goals from House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: There aren’t any. Gov. Greg Abbott put his priorities in a State of the State address this week, but legislative leaders have been relatively quiet.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: Greg Abbott’s priorities match what lawmakers are already doing
In his State of the State speech this week, Gov. Greg Abbott laid out his top priorities, and his chances of success might be pretty decent: They match up with the issues Texas legislators were already working on.
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State Government
Analysis: Just when you think campaign season is over, Texas pulls you back in
You thought election season was over? It’s just starting, with a potential race for governor between incumbent Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who says he is considering a challenge.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: Not every legislative day in Texas is a workday
During the first month of the Texas legislative session, the House and Senate will have met for less than a week, and most lawmakers will have been away from the Capitol for most of that time. It’s an early sign that this pandemic-shadowed session might be limited in scope.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: At a time like this, who needs another emergency?
Gov. Greg Abbott will give a State of the State speech next week, an occasion where governors can declare “emergency items” for early legislative consideration. It would be hard to top the emergencies already on the agenda.
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Texas Legislature 2021
Analysis: A call for unity in government — in Texas, two years ago
State leaders started their last legislative session, in 2019, with a call for unity. By their measure, they got what they set out to accomplish. They’re back to normal this year — not at odds, but not singing “Kumbaya,” either.
