Austin, TX - Speaker Tom Craddick announced today that Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) will serve on the House Bill 2 Conference Committee, a small group of House and Senate leaders tasked with resolving differences in the respective chambers' school finance bills. The Committee has roughly two weeks to develop a compromise solution before the conclusion of the 79th Legislature's Regular Session on May 30. As chair for budget and oversight (CBO) of the Public Education Committee, Branch was instrumental in crafting various parts of the House's version of the bill.

"Dan has proven himself to be a very effective legislator," Speaker Craddick said. "His dedication to solving the school finance crisis makes him a solid choice for this committee."

"Speaker Craddick has given me a unique opportunity, a special honor and a serious charge: to represent the Texas House on the major school finance legislation of the session," Branch said. "I look forward to getting started; properly funding our children's education is the great issue facing our state. Given our knowledge-based economy, the future of Texas hangs in the balance."

Prior to the start of the session, Gov. Rick Perry named school finance an emergency issue for the 79th Legislature. The House passed its school finance plan on March 9 and included a one-third property tax reduction, more than $3 billion in additional funding and significant increases in the percentage of funding provided from the state. The Senate passed its version of HB 2 earlier this week.

Other House members of the HB 2 Conference Committee include Chairman Rep. Kent Grusendorf (R-Arlington), Rep. Dianne White Delisi (R-Temple), Rep. Bill Keffer (R-Dallas), and Rep. Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands). The Senate has yet to name its conferees.

"The individuals that have been selected to sit on this Conference Committee have shown a passionate dedication to reforming our education finance system and have been supportive of the processes along the way that got us to this point," said Craddick.

"As passed by the House, HB 2 reins in the scourge of Robin Hood while expanding equity," Branch stated. "We now have the opportunity to finalize a re-engineered funding system that is better for schoolchildren and fairer to taxpayers."