Past Contributions

• Who's on Texas Monthly's Power List?

  By Evan Smith Jan. 18, 2011

  An early look at the 25 people the magazine deems the most powerful in Texas. Full Story 

• T-Squared: Bound for Bigger Things

  By Evan Smith Jan. 18, 2011

  Say it ain't so: Elise Hu, one of the Trib's best and brightest, is leaving us for NPR. Full Story 

• A Conversation With Jim Pitts

  By Evan Smith Jan. 17, 2011

  The Waxahachie Republican talks about the size of the budget shortfall, the possibility of new revenue sources and why he'd support legalized gambling. Full Story 

• Jim Pitts on Gambling

  By Evan Smith Jan. 17, 2011

  The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on why he'd back legalized gambling as a source of revenue for the state's coffers. Full Story 

• Jim Pitts on the Tea Party

  By Evan Smith Jan. 17, 2011

  The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on the Tea Partiers and other hyperconservative types who oppose him in his district. Full Story 

• Jim Pitts on the Rainy Day Fund

  By Evan Smith Jan. 17, 2011

  The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee on what lawmakers should do with the Rainy Day Fund. Full Story 

• T-Squared: Our Big, Fat QRANK Wedding

  By Evan Smith Jan. 17, 2011

  We've been waiting for it and wanting it for almost a year — and now the day has arrived. Finaliy, we're launching a Trib-content-centric edition of the daily trivia game QRANK right here on our site. Full Story 

• A Conversation with Jim Pitts

  By Evan Smith Jan. 17, 2011

  For our latest TribLive conversation, I interviewed the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee about the budget shortfall, the possibility of new revenue sources, whether Joe Straus will retaliate against members who opposed him and whether Tea Party threats should be taken seriously. Full Story 

• TribBlog: Gohmert Takes His Shot

  By Evan Smith Jan. 16, 2011

  On Friday, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, appeared on Fox and Friends to talk about why he believes, in the wake of the Tucson shootings, that members of Congress should be allowed to carry guns in Washington, D.C. Full Story 

• TribBlog: Patterson to Run for Lite Guv?

  By Evan Smith Jan. 14, 2011

  On the heels of Kay Bailey Hutchison's announcement that she won't run for another term in the U.S. Senate and rampant speculation that David Dewhurst will run for her seat, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today walked up to the edge of saying he plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2014. Full Story