Local House members unite to help Tarrant County

State Rep. Stephanie Klick will continue to help local House members focus on local issues.

Klick, R-Fort Worth, was unanimously elected Tuesday morning as the Tarrant County delegation chairwoman, after holding the post in the last legislative session.

“It’s an opportunity for us to network,” said Klick, a former nurse and Tarrant County Republican chairwoman. “It’s about keeping the lines of communication open with the members and the folks back home on important issues that impact our county.

“I think it’s great as a delegation we can come together and advance our common interests.”

Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, was chosen as vice chairwoman of the group, which is a bipartisan delegation made up of lawmakers whose state House districts are solely within Tarrant County.

“We will face some notable challenges to our infrastructure and education system but I am confident that our delegation is capable of representing the county well,” Collier said. “North Texas residents deserve nothing less than devoted advocates and we will continue to work hard to speak up for their best interests.”

Local representatives are smart to work together on local issues, said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

“This is done informally by delegations from major cities across the state,” he said. “There’s a famous saying that there’s no Republican or Democratic way to fill a pothole.

“They are well-advised to organize and work together.”

Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, said he’s ready to get to work.

“I am happy with the selections and look forward to working with the entire delegation on local bipartisan issues to improve the lives of all Tarrant County residents,” he said.

Said Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie: “We agreed we would work together as a delegation to advance the interests of Tarrant County and North Texas.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Local House members unite to help Tarrant County."