By Daniel Johnson, Sports Editor

Texas highway construction, public education and whatever else was on a handful of constituents’ minds were the main topics discussed at a local forum conducted by State Representative Susan King on Tuesday.

The Abilene Chamber of Commerce hosted the event, which King said was meant to be informal.

The public forum – which is one of many that King appeared at throughout her first year in office – was to learn about constituents’ problems and concerns now, and not just be a politician who reacts to problems when it was too late.

“To get influence and have access to an elective official prior to something blowing up, to me.is important,” King said. “And quite frankly when I was growing up in Houston, I couldn’t tell you who my state representative was.but it is important to know who they are because they are a direct access to you and the state government.”

And in the candid environment at Texas Tech University at Abilene site on 302 Pine St., more than 20 attendants were given a public forum to discuss whatever issue was on their minds.

King admitted she was not an expert on some of the subjects discussed but was eager to hear where her constituents stood on issues she may be able to do something about.

A bulk of the discussion was about the Texas Department of Transportation and the Trans Texas Corridor, a new transportation network that is still in the planning and early construction stages. A large part of the conversation moved onto public education and King, a former Abilene school board member, said she was fighting for the area’s list of schools.

“Education is always a concern for everybody because that is the basis, I believe, of our democracy and how we will proceed,” King said.

Larry Sanders, executive director of the Abilene Association of Independent Business Owners and senior sponsor of men’s social club Frater Sodalis, said he was impressed with King’s openness.

“This is a very real risk area for an elected official, and events of this type are very rare,” Sanders said. “Representative King is showing an access that politicians wouldn’t usually be open to.”

King said she plans to continue local forums like Tuesday’s every other month, with the next forum planned for January.