On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, host Jason Whitely, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy and Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey talk about U.S. Sen. Rand Paul. He's showing all the signs that he's gearing up for a presidential run, with his hiring of Texas Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri and a weekend trip to North Texas the most recent cases in point.

Also: Jason sits down for a one-on-one with Paul, who talks about hiring Munisteri, Mitt Romney's decision not to run and the offices he's opening in Austin and the Silicon Valley; a judge ruled the case against former Gov. Rick Perry can proceed even as the Travis County-based public integrity unit dropped its investigation into Ken Paxton; intentional or not, threatened budget cuts to the public integrity unit and the Texas Ethics Commission are sending a message; the split in the open carry ranks; and more.