/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.
First two items on the call from Gov. Rick Perry: The "non-revenue" and school finance bill, and the Medicaid reforms that were in SB 23. That's where we start, and the governor can add as we go. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/_KCA9930.jpg)
For the latest installment of our unscientific survey of political and policy insiders, we asked some questions about the governor's flirtation with a presidential run and about the Legislature's decision not to take on congressional redistricting. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo_1.png){kind=logo}
Lawmakers were hoping to get out of Austin with their business done, without the prospect of a special session this summer. Fat chance. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/c538973fb062ef9bb5673e3578c9f565/BD%20INC%20Davis%20Stop%20CMS%202011)
Former Texas Gov. William "Bill" Clements Jr., 94, who broke the Democratic Party's century-long hold on the Governor's Mansion with his election in 1978, died Sunday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/24f97b484fc61063a1274f46f1dfac50/BD%20INC%20Captiol%20221%20NYT%202011)
With less than two days left in the legislative session, lawmakers set out to pay for the budget by passing SB 1811. Without it, the budget doesn't balance and lawmakers will be forced to come back in a special session. It passed in the House, but was undone by a Senate filibuster. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/97658ea005856f78598a6826c42c8e72/BD%20ICN%20Walle%2001%202011)
The marathon negotiations over the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association failed to produce a bill, probably prompting a special session later this summer over that issue. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0bd7862657c0f525f6156bd4025da339/BD%20INC%20Perry%2067%20ACMS%202011)
The 82nd Texas Legislature’s regular session ends as it started, with lawmakers arguing about a shrunken state budget and redistricting. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/20110524-_CBM4523-Edit.jpg)
Texas lawmakers passed a two-year state budget on Saturday that cuts $15.2 billion from current spending — most of that in health and human services — but avoids increased taxes and leaves $6.5 billion untouched in the state's Rainy Day Fund. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3acb698bd78f43e804af169f5aca6b09/BD%20INC%20Ogden%2045%202011)
Root profiles conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan, Aaronson on the Senate's flare-up over an airport groping ban, Grissom on some twisted logic in the state's same-sex marriage laws, Murphy and Macrander expand and refresh our public employee salary database, yours truly with the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll results on politics, issues, the state's finances, and race, Ramshaw's report on how some of the governor's former aides now represent clients who want more money in the state budget, M. Smith on last-minute efforts to save education legislation that didn't make it through the process, Tan reports on efforts to finish the state budget before the session ends on Monday, and Dehn with the video week in review: The best of our best from May 9 to 13, 2011. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Tribweek_05232011.jpg)
When Texas lawmakers said they wanted to run government like a business, they left out the part about using Enron and Countrywide as their models. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/22c1e3c8f958f9fcad43cc85852fc488/BD%20INC%20Pitts%20Ogden%2002%202011)