Texans for Dan Branch to Report $1 Million Raised in 2011 Over $1.7 Million On Hand   DALLAS- In a filing to be made to the Texas Ethics Commission today, Texans for Dan Branch will report over $1.7 million in cash on hand, and contributions totaling over $700,000. Contributions for 2011 exceeded $1 million when combined with the $313,000 raised during June of last year, following the fundraising moratorium.   "The encouragement and support we've received from across the state is gratifying. We look forward to building on this momentum," Branch said.   Dan Branch currently serves as Chairman of the…

BRANCH SEEKS REELECTION TO TEXAS HOUSE Campaign will focus on creating jobs and a 21st century Texas Workforce DALLAS—Representative Dan Branch (R-Dallas) announced today that he will seek reelection to the Texas House of Representatives for the heart of Dallas, District 108. "This is a critical time for the Texas economy. The decisions we make in Austin today, will affect Texans for decades to come," Branch said. "I'm running for reelection because I want to provide thoughtful, conservative leadership for North Texas, the major economic engine of a state leading the way in job creation."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      Oct. 12, 2011     JOINT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNANCE, EXCELLENCE AND TRANSPARENCY LAUNCHES COMMITTEE WEBSITE AUSTIN-- A new website to promote transparency and keep Texans informed in real time was launched at the first hearing of the Joint Oversight Committee on Higher Education Governance, Excellence and Transparency. The website, http://heget.posterous.com, features key hearing dates and agendas and allows for real-time posting of written testimony during committee hearings.

February 15, 2012     Reeve Hamilton     Updated, 5:30 p.m.: UT-Austin President Bill Powers issued a campus-wide email this afternoon acknowledging his receipt of the task force's recommendations to boost the school's four-year graduation rate to 70 percent by 2016. "Some of these, such as mandatory freshman orientation, will be implemented immediately," he wrote. "Others will need additional input from faculty and staff."

February 16, 2011     Mike Hailey     Record Number of Texas House Members Mull Statewide Jump that Hasn't Been Accomplished Since Perry and Morales Wins A half-dozen state House members are weighing the possibility of making the leap from the lower chamber of the Legislature to statewide office in 2014 - a feat that hasn't been accomplished at the polls in Texas in more than two decades.

Febraury 13, 2012   Signs Point to Potential Geren Farm Chief Bid while Hilderbran and Creighton Mentioned as Land Commissioner Contestants and Branch Eyes Lt. Governor   Mike Hailey   The names of several powerful state legislators are popping up in Capitol conjecture on potential statewide campaigns when most of the top political jobs in Texas are expected to be open and up for grabs on the ballot in 2014. There's speculation that the pool of potential statewide contenders in two years could include State Reps. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth and Harvey Hilderbran of Kerrville - a pair of Republicans who are…

Rep. Branch met with the new Dean of Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry, Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky in late January.  Dr. Wolinsky provided a tour of the facilities and Rep. Branch met with several dentistry students, as well.

December 21, 2011 Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) welcomes Dallas' newest resident Khloe Kardashian with a flag flown over the Capitol.  Ms. Kardashian, having only been in Dallas for a week, held a holiday toy drive at Dallas City Hall benefiting Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) gave the keynote speech at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce "e2e Conference" breakfast.  Branch gave a legislative update and discussed a wide range of topics, including higher education in Texas and the current redistricting news.

Chairman Branch conducted a Higher Education Committee hearing on Transferability pathways from community colleges to 4 year institutions. Expert witnesses discussed national trends and where Texas fits into the picture and students from Texas Woman's University and UT-Austin provided insightful testimony by discussing their own experiences with transferring.

Rep. Branch met with a group of 4th grade students from the Episcopal School of Dallas on February 16, 2012. The students toured the capitol, and after pausing to meet with Rep. Branch to learn more about Texas history, continued on to a tour of the Bob Bullock State History Museum.

Rep. Branch was honored by the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission with a "Horizon Award" for his work during the 82nd legislature. Leaders of the group commended Branch on his diligent work in Higher Education and Branch commented on how important religious and civic organizations are in preparing young Texans to live ethical, productive lives.

BRANCH SEEKS REELECTION TO TEXAS HOUSE Campaign will focus on creating jobs and a 21st century Texas Workforce DALLAS—Representative Dan Branch (R-Dallas) announced today that he will seek reelection to the Texas House of Representatives for the heart of Dallas, District 108. "This is a critical time for the Texas economy. The decisions we make in Austin today, will affect Texans for decades to come," Branch said. "I'm running for reelection because I want to provide thoughtful, conservative leadership for North Texas, the major economic engine of a state leading the way in job creation."

August 14, 2011 Andy Staples The problem with the speed at which information travels in this era is that everything has to mean something immediately. In the Twitter age, we must be able to consume information, process it and explain what it means in the grand scheme of things within seconds. In the world of Internet journalism, it also helps if we can just as quickly declare each event to be either the best or worst thing that has ever happened. Unfortunately, the world doesn't always hand us news in byte-sized chunks. Sometimes, an issue requires more time to resolve…

August 4, 2011 Ross Ramsey and Ryan Murphy Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has been at the top of the cash list in Texas politics for so long that it's not really that newsy any more. The incumbent Republican, who's got a run for governor in his sights if Rick Perry moves along, got to the end of June with $10.4 million in the bank. He had more money than any other candidate — or any of the state's big political action committees. Among the candidates, Comptroller Susan Combs reached mid-year with $5.4 million in her accounts, followed by Sen. John…