Latest Contributions

• Perry Names Rathgeber Insurance Commissioner

  By Ross Ramsey May 27, 2013

  UPDATED: Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Julia Rathgeber to be the state's commissioner of insurance, replacing Eleanor Kitzman, who couldn't win Senate confirmation this session. Full Story 

• Interactive: Bills Sent to the Governor's Office

  By Ross Ramsey and Travis Swicegood May 27, 2013

  Hundreds of bills that have been signed by both the House and the Senate are arriving at Gov. Rick Perry's office. Use our interactive to see which measures he has signed, which he has vetoed and which have become law without his signature. Full Story 

• This Session, Lawmakers Put Down Their Swords

  By Ross Ramsey, Emily Ramshaw, Aman Batheja and Jay Root May 26, 2013

  If Texas’ less-than-theatrical 83rd legislative session is remembered at all, it will be known for accords, not discord. Here's a look at top storylines from this session and what they could portend for the future. Full Story 

• News App: Tracking the Status of House and Senate Bills

  By Ross Ramsey and Travis Swicegood May 24, 2013

  The deadline for bills to win approval from the House and the Senate passed earlier this week, resulting in the death of a lot of legislation. Most of what remains is to reconcile differences between versions of legislation passed by both chambers. Our updated bill apps — one for House bills and one for Senate legislation — detail the results. Full Story 

• Dewhurst's Run to the Right Falls Short

  By Ross Ramsey May 24, 2013

  David Dewhurst, the state's lieutenant governor for the past decade, started this legislative session looking for some momentous conservative victories. He's still looking. Full Story 

• For Perry, Veto is a Seasonal Power

  By Ross Ramsey May 24, 2013

  Who is really in power in state government? According to the calendar, the clout is days away from moving firmly to the governor's office. Full Story 

• An Expensive Celebration, Courtesy of the Lobby

  By Ross Ramsey May 22, 2013

  End-of-session dinners are commonplace for legislative committees at the end of the session, and they can be lavish affairs. One this week cost more than $22,000. Full Story 

• Inside Intelligence: About the End Games...

  By Ross Ramsey May 21, 2013

  For this week's nonscientic survey of insiders in politics and government, we asked for predictions about which proposals will survive the legislative session, which ones won't and about how top state officeholders will fare in the elections that follow. Full Story 

• Will They Stay or Will They Go?

  By Ross Ramsey May 21, 2013

  A perfect time for speculation: The legislative session isn't quite over, and the political season hasn't quite begun. Full Story 

• For Lawmakers, Ethics Reform is Complicated

  By Ross Ramsey May 20, 2013

  It's easier, it seems, for lawmakers to regulate others than to regulate themselves. Ethics and transparency legislation has had a bumpy ride in the current legislative session. Full Story