The Texas Legislature officially convened last week, setting in motion the 140-day period every other year when elected officials address key issues and priorities of the state government. Public policy has an impact on local business in Fort Worth, whether it be tax policy, business regulations, quality of life issues, or a variety of other policy areas that effect your bottom line. As the voice of business, we aim to effectively advocate on your behalf to ensure Fort Worth remains a great place to do business, and a place where our workforce can thrive.

The Fort Worth area is represented by five State Senators whose districts at least partly cover Tarrant County, plus a sixth State Senate district which largely encompasses part of our surrounding area. Get to know our area delegation below.

SD 9 – Senator Kelly Hancock (R – North Richland Hills)

• Senate District 9 covers a large swath of greater Fort Worth, working inward toward the center of the city from the western edge and northern edge of Tarrant County
• Senator since 2013 (House Member from 2006-2012)
• Occupation: small business owner
• Alma mater: Baylor University

SD 10 – Senator Phil King (R – Weatherford)

• Senate District 10 covers a large portion of Tarrant County south of I-30, as well as portions or all of the following counties: Johnson, Parker, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Shackelford, Callahan, and Brown
• Senator since 2023 (House Member from 1999-2022)
• Occupation: Attorney, small business owner
• Alma mater: Dallas Baptist University (B.A., M.B.A.), Texas A&M University School of Law (J.D.)

SD 12 – Senator Tan Parker (R – Flower Mound)

• Senate District 12 covers a small portion of northeast Tarrant County, as well as portions or all of the following counties: Wise, Denton, and Dallas
• Senator since 2023 (House Member from 2007-2023)
• Occupation: Businessman and entrepreneur
• Alma mater: University of Dallas (B.A.), London School of Economics (MSc)

SD 22 – Senator Brian Birdwell (R – Granbury)

• Senate District 22 covers a portion of east Tarrant County, as well as portions or all of the following counties: Ellis, Hill, McLennan, Falls, Bosque, Somervell, Hood, Erath, Hamilton, Comanche, and Eastland
• Senator since 2010
• Occupation: Retired US Army Officer, non-profit organization co-founder
• Alma mater: Lamar University (B.S.), University of Missouri-Kansas City (M.P.A.), U.S. Command and General Staff College

SD 23 – Senator Royce West (D – Dallas)

• Senate District 23 primarily covers Dallas County, but a small portion is in the southeast corner of Tarrant County
• Senator since 1993
• Occupation: Managing partner, West & Associates L.L.P.
• Alma mater: University of Texas at Arlington (B.A., M.A.), University of Houston (J.D.)

SD 30 – Senator Drew Springer (R – Muenster)

• Senate District 30 doesn’t cover Tarrant County itself, but terminates right at the Parker County-Tarrant County line, and covers all or portions of the following counties: Denton, Parker, Grayson, Cooke, Montague, Clay, Wichita, Archer, Young, and Jack
• Senator since 2021 (House Member from 2013-2021)
• Occupation: Financial services
• Alma mater: University of North Texas (B.S.)

TOP HEADLINES

National

• Roll Call | FTC ban may be test of bipartisan opposition to noncompete clauses
• Roll Call | FAA outage sparks bipartisan concern in Congress
• Star-Telegram | Granger named chairwoman of House Appropriations Committee
• Fort Worth Business Press | Rep. Roger Williams named chairman of House Small Business Committee

State and Local

• TTARA | The Partial Myth of Texas as a Low Tax State
• Chronicle | Texas lawmakers unveil plan for $15B in property tax relief
• Fox 4 | North Texas mayors team up to lobby for key issues in Texas Legislature
• KENS5 | Will property tax cuts include appraisal reform?
• Fort Worth Business Press | Texas mayors list legislative priorities; Fort Worth's Parker wants broadband
• Fort Worth Report | Filing period for May 6 election begins for Fort Worth City Council, area school boards
• Star-Telegram | Tarrant County judge rescinds COVID-19 disaster declaration
• Star-Telegram | Fort Worth mayor seeks partnerships between industry, schools

Upcoming Dates

• February 3: Government Affairs Committee Meeting
• February 17: Last day for Fort Worth Mayoral and City Council candidates to file
• March 22-23: Tarrant County Days