Texas Could Soon Be The First State To End Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying

Although most of them weren’t conscious, Texas taxpayers spent a complete of $75 million on contract lobbyists over the last session of the state legislature. That is without doubt one of the findings of a brand new report from the Texas Public Coverage Basis (TPPF). A invoice launched within the Texas Senate, nevertheless, would put an finish to taxpayer-funded lobbying, which critics contend is an inherently corrupt observe.

Senate Invoice 175, launched by Senator Mayes Middleton (R), would prohibit native governments and different political subdivisions in Texas from utilizing taxpayer funds to rent lobbyists. Middleton’s invoice additionally prohibits cities, cities, counties, and different political subdivisions from paying dues to nonprofit organizations that characterize political subdivisions or rent contract lobbyists.

Senator Middleton and different proponents of SB 175 observe that contract lobbyists employed with taxpayer {dollars} typically work in opposition to the pursuits of taxpayers, opposing laws to offer property tax aid and combating reforms that would scale back the speed of development in authorities spending. Taxpayer {dollars} are additionally being spent to foyer in opposition to laws that may increase college selection.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t be bankrolling efforts to advocate in opposition to their pursuits,” Senator Middleton mentioned concerning the want for SB 175. “Each step of the way in which, taxpayer-funded lobbyists have lobbied in opposition to key conservative priorities together with: property tax aid, election integrity, disclosures of what bonds really value taxpayers, the constitutional ban on a state earnings tax, they usually even opposed the invoice to fund and defend the instructor retirement pension system.”

TPPF beforehand discovered that native governments in Texas spent $41 billion on lobbying in 2017, that means that determine has almost doubled over the course of two legislative periods (the Texas Legislature is in session each different 12 months). Whereas Texas Ethics Fee information present that native governments spent $75 million on lobbying in 2021, TPPF notes that could be a conservative estimate.

“This determine excludes the salaries and actions of in-house lobbyists, often known as intergovernmental relations personnel, in addition to membership dues and different monies paid to pro-government associations, just like the Texas Municipal League, the Texas Affiliation of Counties, the Texas Affiliation of College Boards, and others,” explains James Quintero, coverage director for TPPF. “Thus, the $75 million spent by native governments to foyer is just a partial account—albeit an essential one.”

Whereas many native officers and the lobbyists they’ve on contract at taxpayer expense are fiercely against SB 175, polling suggests the overwhelming majority of Texans help Senator Middleton’s proposal to place an finish to taxpayer-funded lobbying. A ballot performed by the College of Texas and the Texas Tribune discovered 69% of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents help a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying. A TPPF ballot launched in 2019 discovered virtually 90% of these surveyed help such a ban. Extra lately, a poll proposition was positioned on the March 2020 major poll to gauge public help for Senator Middleton’s proposal, with almost 95% of Republicans voting in favor.

Governor Greg Abbott (R) has already voiced his help for Senator Middleton’s proposal. “Austin – don’t even attempt to defend taxpayer-funded lobbying,” Governor Abbott tweeted in 2020. “It’s indefensible that you just tax residents to get cash that you just use to rent lobbyists to help laws to mean you can tax much more.”

Along with Governor Abbott, Senator Middleton’s proposal can also be supported by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) and Texas Home Speaker Dade Phelan (R). Given the invoice has help from the Governor, is backed by management in each legislative chambers, and has already as soon as been handed by the Texas Senate, many are optimistic about SB 175’s prospects for enactment in 2023.

State companies are already barred from hiring contract lobbyists in Texas and different states. Enactment of SB 175, nevertheless, would make Texas the primary state the place native governments and political subdivisions should not allowed to rent contract lobbyists.

Lawmakers in Florida and Tennessee have additionally voiced an curiosity in passing a reform just like the one launched in Texas by Senator Middleton. Florida, Tennessee, and Texas are all no-income-tax states the place lawmakers have been capable of maintain the expansion of state spending in examine and preserve a comparatively low tax burden. But, in these and different states the place lawmakers have completed job of conserving their fiscal home so as, native authorities profligacy and onerous taxation are nonetheless an issue, one which has pushed up property burdens.

Prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying is seen by many as a primary step in reining in native spending that has grown at what’s broadly imagine to be an unsustainable charge, even in locations the place spending restraint is exercised on the state stage. Texas is poised to turn out to be the primary to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying. However, for a lot of causes, it’s unlikely to be the final.