Dan Branch

The House Voted to Rename Central for George W. Bush

HB 3520 designating a portion of US 75 the George W. Bush Expressway just passed. #txlege #txgop— Dan Branch (@TexansForDan) May 8, 2013 When State Representative Dan Branch introduced his proposal to change the name of a seven-mile stretch of Central to George W. Bush Expressway, we thought i ... More >>

University of Texas Scientists Plead with Lawmakers to Please Kill Intelligent Design Bill

State Representative Bill Zedler's legislative career can be summed up as a quixotic attempt to foist his puritanical worldview onto the state's 26 million residents. Backdoor abortion bans, stripper licensing, Sharia law bans, making life unnecessarily difficult for gay college kids. Whatever your ... More >>

Vouchers Suffered a Blow in the Texas House, but "Vouchers" Definitely Are Still in Play

Yesterday the State House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1, a new state budget of $193.8 billion, by a lop-sided vote of 135-12. One of the more surprising parts of the bill's passage is the approval of an anti-private school voucher amendment, passed by a vote of 103-43. The amendment, spo ... More >>

A Dallas Lawmaker Wants to Turn Central into George W. Bush Expressway

It took nearly six years after leaving office for George H.W. Bush to have a functioning North Texas highway named for him. His son could do it in less than five. State Representative Dan Branch has taken it upon himself to see that that happens. On Friday, just before the filing deadline for the l ... More >>

Cityplace Trolley Turntable Takes Its First Spin. It's Adorable. Even With Lasers.

Photos by Leslie MinoraThe Green Dragon takes its inaugural spin.​Back in June, the plot of land near the Cityplace DART station at Haskell and N. Central Expressway was a vacant lot with a big hole and a big plan. It would be the future site of a trolley turntable, a novelty attraction to be ... More >>

Which Local Lawmakers Made Texas Monthly's Annual Best and Worst List? Let's Take a Look.

Rep. Dan Branch​Pardon me as we take a brief detour from the parade route for just a moment, but Texas Monthly's just posted its latest list of the best and worst state legislators -- and Leo Berman made worst? No way. Anyway. The preview's here, sans further categories awaiting their print and on ... More >>

How Texas Got Fracked Over By Gas Drillers

​We added insult to injury a long time ago in this whole business of fracking in Dallas -- you know, the kind of natural gas drilling where they blow up underground rocks in a geological formation called the Barnett Shale, releasing trapped gas. Now, if you don't mind, I need to add injury to insu ... More >>

Cutting Another Ribbon at the Performing Arts Center, for Annette Strauss Square's Dedication

Photos by Patrick MichelsAfter cutting the ribbon, Mayor Tom Leppert suggests Howard Hallam, chair of the AT&T Performing Arts Center Board of Directors, try the giant scissors out on his pinky as well. SMU President Gerald Turner looks on.​ Hundreds of art supporters and political types, from ... More >>

All About the All About Uptown Fest

Photos by Sam MertenMike Rhyner​Despite the rain early on Saturday, I found myself at the All About Uptown Festival for the third-straight year, and it wasn't until checking out the festival's website just now that I realized it's only the third year of its existence. Not a heckuva lot has cha ... More >>

Stars and Stripes Go On Forever Among the Downtrodden at the Texas GOP Convention

A Few Do's and Don'ts Learned During the 2010 Republican Party of Texas Convention

Photos by Patrick Michels​Happy Sunday, Friends! While you were out having a nice, relaxing weekend full of neighbors and sun and beers and loveliness, I was at the 2010 Texas Republican Party Convention having a blast talking about 'Murka and stuff. It was a fun- and camo-filled two days, but I'v ... More >>

Catching Up With Our Favorite George W. Bush Soundalike at the GOP Convention

Sam MertenWe tried to grab Senator Cornyn after this radio interview, but he scampered off to the VIP area before we could snag him.​As Representative Dan Branch told us yesterday afternoon shortly after addressing the delegation from John Carona's senate district, what a difference two years ... More >>

"Jurassic Park Comes to Victory Park": Breaking Ground at the Perot Musuem

Photos by Patrick MichelsRoss and Margot Perot enjoy the party alongside museum president Nicole Small.​When the city began work on the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park, they didn't just break ground -- there's no ground there to dig up -- they held a "ground-making" ceremony instead. When they invited g ... More >>

Mayor Tom Leppert: It Will Be "a Journey" to Lure Businesses to Downtown Dallas

Photos by Kimberly ThorpeMayor Tom Leppert shows off an iPhones he's sending as move-to-Dallas enticements. But who's "Jeffrey"?​Speaking of Mayor Tom Leppert and his sales pitching ...Today at the Dallas Regional Chamber luncheon at the downtown Sheraton, the mayor gave his State of the City addr ... More >>

Out Of Thin Air: "Making Ground" On the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park

Photos by Patrick MichelsMayor Tom Leppert and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson with Linda Owen (second from left) and Sheila Grant of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation board.​As much fun as Mayor Tom Leppert and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson could have had shoveling dirt down onto rush hour traffic, thi ... More >>

Wade Emmert Emerges as Party Favorite in GOP Effort to Take Back County Judge Seat

flickr member: cedarhillchurchofchristEmmert is charged with helping the local Republican Party rebound by jumping from a council member in Cedar Hill to Dallas County Judge.At the Dallas County Republican Party's annual Reagan Day Dinner in February, we described Cedar Hill City Council member Wade ... More >>

A Downtown Law School is Good for Downtown. But is it Good for America?

How UNT imagines the old City Hall will look once it becomes a law schoolA Friend of Unfair Park whose name does not rhyme with "Patt Mulle" sends us this Texas Watchdog story concerning the downtown law school the University of North Texas System is hoping to squeeze into the old Municipal Building ... More >>

With Dallas Republicans in Pain, One Local Leader Believes He Has the Cure

How County Chair Jonathan Neerman Plans to Ease the Dallas GOP's Woes

So, Houston, Do We Have A Problem?

GOP Kisses Sheriff’s Race Goodbye

Suddenly, Jerry Jones is the Most Popular Guy in Sports.

Over the Line

A GOP state redistricting plan targets a longtime Democrat and others

Dubya, We Knew You When...

With a homeboy headed for the White House, a handful of his Dallas pals have hopes of making their mark on Washington