Legislation to Ban Taxpayer-funded Lobbying Filed in the Texas Senate

[Elderberry]

Texas Scorecard by  Sydnie Henry November 15, 2022

“Taxpayers should not be bankrolling efforts to advocate against their interests.”

On Monday, Senator-elect Mayes Middleton (R–Wallisville) filed Senate Bill 175, which would prohibit public funds from being used to hire registered lobbyists.

If the Legislature bans the practice, school districts and cities will be barred from spending taxpayer money on their own interests.

Background

In 2020, more than 94 percent of Republican voters supported a ballot proposition banning taxpayer-funded lobbying.

Two of the most cited examples of institutions engaging in taxpayer-funded lobbying in recent years are the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). TASB and TASA are taxpayer-funded through dues from local school districts (which, in turn, levy property taxes). TASB and TASA employ Austin lobbyists to fight against taxpayer interests and parental rights.

Although banning taxpayer-funded lobbying is a longtime conservative priority and was a legislative priority for the Texas GOP in the 2021 legislative session, the Texas House killed the legislation after the Texas Senate passed it.

More: https://texasscorecard.com/state/legislation-to-ban-taxpayer-funded-lobbying-filed-in-the-texas-senate/