Analysis: Population changes the recipe for Texas’ political soup
Not every change in the state’s political maps starts with party affiliation. Geography and population are giving Republican mapmakers new headaches. Full Story
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Ross Ramsey
Executive Editor
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Ross Ramsey is executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, the only member-supported, digital-first, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. He writes 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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![The Texas Capitol on Feb. 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas and the U.S., lawyered up and ready to go to court
It's usually the state suing the feds, but now the federal government is suing Texas for outlawing abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. There are more lawsuits between the state and federal governments to come. Full Story
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![U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during an event at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., on June 15, 2021.]()
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Analysis: Man bites dog, tries to make amends
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed legislation designed to protect dogs earlier this year. Now he's asking the Legislature to fix it — before next year’s elections. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen pet Pancake, the governor’s dog after …]()
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Analysis: Texas legislators, with an assist from the U.S. Supreme Court, open a Pandora’s box
The country just noticed what Texas was doing, and although Texans have been watching the debate over this anti-abortion law all year, even some of them were surprised at how quickly the legally protected right to abortion disappeared. Full Story
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![Protestors joined several Democratic lawmakers outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2019, to show th…]()
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Analysis: New laws reflect Republican lawmakers’ focus on their right flank
From abortion restrictions to guns, the Texas Legislature's regular session Republican victories were just the beginning. Full Story
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![Lawmakers on the House floor on Aug. 23, 2021.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The partisan debate over voting laws is a prologue to redistricting
The summer fight over voting and election law has been fierce. It may well be a prologue to a bigger battle just ahead: redrawing the state’s political maps. Full Story
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![Voters at the polling place inside the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: When the Texas state seal doesn’t signify trust
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is using the state seal to shield himself against accusations by former top aides. And former Gov. Rick Perry is using it as well — as a backdrop for a sales pitch. Full Story
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![Then-State Senator and current Attorney General Ken Paxton during the 2014 Red State Gathering in Fort Worth.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas lawmakers have two contentious voting fights ahead — if they can stay in the same room
After a standoff that lasted more than a month, the Texas House appears to have enough state representatives in Austin to conduct business. The divisions are deep, relationships are frayed and redistricting lies ahead. Full Story
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![State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, leads a prayer on the House floor on Aug. 19, 2021. Democratic lawmakers Garnet Colema…]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas, the bellwether state
A number of the top issues facing the country — mask mandates, voting, immigration — have something in common: Texas. Full Story
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![The state Capitol building on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas government grinds to a stop — of the governor’s choosing
It’s happening slowly, but during the Texas government’s long summer, with legislative walkouts, fights over voting rights, and new battles over what’s safe and what’s not, Gov. Greg Abbott is mostly getting his way. Full Story
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![A legislator fist bumps a House Administration staffer as they entered the House Chamber on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Fiddling while the pandemic rages
The Texas Legislature is meeting. Partisans are fighting. And there is a surge in COVID-19 cases just as the state’s public schools are opening. Guess what’s getting the least amount of attention from state lawmakers. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott holds a border security briefing with sheriffs from border communities at the Texas Capitol on July 10, 202…]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The pandemic breaks into Gov. Greg Abbott’s special session agenda
The business of the new special legislative session is like that of the failed first one, with some big items added in apparent response to the rise of the delta variant of the coronavirus in Texas. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan talks with other legislators on the House floor on July 20, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Schools open in Texas with unvaccinated K-6 students and months of learning loss to overcome
Public schools in Texas are reopening this month as parents, students and educators balance learning losses from virtual classes during the pandemic with an alarming rise in COVID-19 and a large number of unvaccinated students. Full Story
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![Johan Arzade, 12, looks at his COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card after receiving a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a clinic org…]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Groundhog Day in Texas
A lot of the news from the last few days — about the Legislature, about COVID-19 and about immigration — has a real déjà vu quality to it. And there’s a good reason for that. Full Story
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![A migrant child waits with his family in front of the Catholic Charities RGV Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen on July …]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas government has to put Humpty Dumpty together again
A partial shutdown of state government wouldn't do anyone in state politics any good. Lawmakers still have time to erase the governor's veto of the Legislature's budget — but not a lot of time. Full Story
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![A legislator holds his head in his hand while sitting on the House floor on July 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: In Texas, sports can be a religion. Thankfully, politics are not involved. Oops…
Nothing offers a better distraction from nasty political fights over serious subjects than nasty political infighting over Texas college sports. Full Story
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![Baylor Bears safety JT Woods returns an interception against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first quarter at McLane St…]()
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Analysis: A virus unfettered among the unvaccinated
Texas and other states are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, one that’s preying disproportionately on unvaccinated people. Full Story
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Analysis: Texas Democrats may find themselves in the wilderness of wandering public attention
The legislative Democrats who decamped from Texas to Washington, D.C., to block a voting bill need public attention to pull the argument their way — and that's going to be harder to get after last week’s first news of their quorum-busting. Full Story
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![Democratic members of the Texas House and Texas Senate gathered for a joint press conference at Washington Plaza Hotel in Wa…]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas legislators are fighting ferociously — and for voters' attention
Texas lawmakers are battling over voting laws — pushing people into late hearings and walking out on the proceedings in Austin — and hoping their voters will appreciate the ferocity. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, joined other Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives, who are boycotting …]()
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Analysis: There’s plenty still to play out ahead of 2022, but Greg Abbott is starting to run up the score
With a big endorsement and a record-setting fundraising period behind him, Texas' governor is in a political sweet spot. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott spoke to the Senate at the Capitol on the first day of the 2021 Legislature on Jan. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
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