Dave Mann

Dave Mann has been with the Observer since 2003. Before that, he worked as a reporter in Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. He was born and raised in Philadelphia. He thinks border collies are the world’s greatest dogs, and believes in the nourishing powers of pickup basketball.

State of Texas: The Road to 500 ExecutionsMay 17, 2013
Texas will soon execute its 500th person since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Full Story
State of Texas: Who Pays How Much In TaxesApr 18, 2013
Texas' tax system is one of the most regressive in the country, meaning it falls especially hard on the poor. Full Story
Oops: The Top 10 Perry GaffesFeb 02, 2012
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State of Texas: The Road to 500 ExecutionsMay 17, 2013
Texas will soon execute its 500th person since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Full Story
Hot List: Day 127 of the LegislatureMay 14, 2013
The Lead: The Legislature went after mucus yesterday. That would be Michael Quinn Sullivan (often referred to as MQS—or mucus) who leads the tea [...] Full Story
Observer Story Wins SPJ AwardApr 24, 2013
When Texas Observer staff writer Emily DePrang first met Josh Gravens in early 2012, his life was in shambles. The 25-year-old husband and father [...] Full Story
State of Texas: Who Pays How Much In TaxesApr 18, 2013
Texas' tax system is one of the most regressive in the country, meaning it falls especially hard on the poor. Full Story
The Arson Files: Ed Graf Wins New TrialMar 28, 2013
Texas’ highest criminal court on Wednesday overturned the arson conviction of Ed Graf who’s served nearly 25 years of a life sentence for a [...] Full Story

Their Daughter’s KeepersMay 17, 2011
Tyrant’s Foes—Wally and Peggy Van Wyk Wally and Peggy Van Wyk adopted their daughter Laura in 1958. Raising her was difficult from the beginning. [...] Full Story
Disabling Reforms at State InstitutionsMar 30, 2011
In 2009, Gov. Rick Perry declared Texas’ troubled institutions for people with mental disabilities an “emergency item” for the Legislature. Now, just two years [...] Full Story
Inside the House’s Brutal BudgetMar 25, 2011
It was supposed to get better. In January, state lawmakers released a first draft of the state budget that contained shockingly deep spending cuts. [...] Full Story
Faces Behind the Budget CutsMar 09, 2011
Ronnie Evans is a self-described conservative. “I’ll say that I was backing some of the Tea Party stuff,” he says. But he never imagined [...] Full Story
Nelson: Now the Real Work Starts on MedicaidFeb 23, 2011
“Now the real work starts.” That’s how state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, concluded a hearing this afternoon of the Senate Finance subcommittee on [...] Full Story