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.

Latest Contributions

Court: Business Franchise Tax Isn't an Income Tax

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 28, 2011

The Texas Supreme Court turned back a challenge to the state's primary business tax, saying it doesn't violate a constitutional ban on personal income taxes. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Solomons Won't Seek Re-election to Texas House

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 28, 2011

State Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, won't seek a 10th term in the Texas House. He's the 24th incumbent to either quit or decide not to return to the House next year. Full Story

Credit: Jacob Villanueva
Texas Asks Supreme Court to Stop Court-Ordered Maps

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 28, 2011

The state's lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop elections under court-ordered redistricting maps, arguing today that the federal judges who drew the maps improperly disregarded the wishes of the Legislature. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Chris Chang
High-Brow Racing, High-Risk Politics

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 28, 2011

What the proposed Formula One project means for Comptroller Susan Combs, the future of taxpayer-financed events — and Texas. Full Story

Credit: Gregory Moine
Inside Intelligence: About Those Maps...

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 28, 2011

For this week's nonscientific survey of political and government insiders, we asked about redistricting — who's to blame for the maps now in place — and about tax incentives for events like the Super Bowl and Formula One racing. Full Story
A Wobbly Starting Position for Texas Elections

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 27, 2011

Monday's the day candidates can begin filing for office, and after a flurry of legal activity over the holidays, they now know what districts they're seeking to represent. Probably. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 26, 2011

Root and Tan on the restoration of the Governor's Mansion and on the Perrys' expensive replacement digs, E. Smith's TribLive interview with three freshman legislators in El Paso, M. Smith on tough financial standards for local school districts, Ramshaw and Murphy on Texas docs paid by drug companies, yours truly on new congressional and legislative redistricting maps, Hamilton on the biggest competitive endeavor in Brownsville's schools and Aguilar on how border mayors feel about military equipment in their cities: The best of our best content from November 21 to 25, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Benjamin Hasson
Peña Won't Run for Re-election

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 25, 2011

State Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburg, says he can't win re-election under new court-drawn redistricting maps and won't seek another term in the Texas House. It would have been his first election as a Republican. Full Story
Perry No Bush, Carter, Clinton or Reagan

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 25, 2011

In the array of governors who turned to national politics — a collection that includes four of the last six presidents — Rick Perry looks a lot more like Sarah Palin than like George W. Bush. And not just in his politics. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Cotera
Campaign Chatter

By Ross Ramsey Nov. 24, 2011

Rep. Joe Driver and Travis County prosecutors come to terms on his legislative expense accounts. Full Story

Credit: Justin Dehn