You practically expected people to start chanting "Yes We Can!" with all the optimism coming from House members in downtown Fort Worth today. Not only does a regional rail program have a decent shot this time around, but Republicans and Democrats are on the verge of joining hands under a new House Speaker, according to some speaking at a Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce lunch.
Six local state representatives -- Republicans Rob Orr, Mark Shelton and Todd Smith and Democrats Paula Pierson, Chris Turner and Marc Veasey -- along with state Sen. Wendy Davis spoke about the upcoming session to a full house at the Fort Worth Club.
All in attendance seemed to agree that concerns about the economy could be the biggest obstacle to getting anything accomplished.
Smith and Veasey, two longtime critics of Tom Craddick, predicted the change in culture in the House will be dramatic once likely replacement Joe Straus takes over as Speaker.
In past sessions, Veasey, a Fort Worth Democrat said, “You basically went to committee meetings, you went to the floor, knowing everything was already predetermined.”
The prospect of a new leadership combined with an almost evenly divided House has already altered the mood in the lower chamber, he said.
“Despite our close numbers in division, you can feel the unity in that place like I’ve never felt before,” Veasey said.
Smith, a Republican from Bedford, predicted less legislative gridlock in the coming months.
“At least in the house, you’re going to be happier with the way your government functions that you’ve been in some time,” Smith said.
The two newest members of the House, Chris Turner, D-Arlington, and Mark Shelton, R-Fort Worth, said they planned to spend part of the first session learning the ropes of the Legislature. Shelton, a physician, said he hoped to become a leader in healthcare, already working on a "project" to make programs like CHIP more effective. Turner eyed education as a key issue.
Several members said North Texas would be best served if lawmakers from both sides of the Metroplex could remain unified on common issues, though some acknowledged that could be a tall order.
Giving the best line of the lunch, Pierson broke it down like this: “Arlington resents Fort Worth. Fort Worth resents Dallas. Mansfield resents Arlington. Grand Prairie resents Arlington. So everywhere I go, somebody has an agenda.”
Fellow reporter Kevin Lyons and myself posted some other choice remarks from the event on our new Twitter feed, TXPolitics.
-Aman Batheja
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