SE Dallas News

Two Texas lawmakers last week introduced legislation that would ban cities, counties and school districts from using taxpayer revenue to hire lobbyists to advocate against legislation that could benefit homeowners across the state, and one of the lawmakers is seeking answers from localities on how much they spend on lobbying. 

Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) and Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) filed lobbying bills HB 740 and SB 234, respectively. Middleton has been railing against taxpayer funded lobbying for years. Last year he filed a similar bill that was defeated.

Middleton has sent a letter to hundreds of school districts and cities, including the city of Combine, requesting information on their lobbying expenditures. 

Robin Price, city secretary/treasurer of Combine, responded to Middleton in an email and said, "We do not have a defined lobby contract and no 1295 forms have been filed."

Price, when asked by SE Dallas News if the city belongs to the Texas Municipal League and how much of their dues go toward lobbying effort, said, "Yes, TML covers our general liability, auto and property liability and worker's comp."

"However, TML member service fees are not spent to influence legislation and we do not have a contract with TML or anyone else and do not budget nor have expenditures relating to lobbying," Price said.

Data from Middleton's office shows up to $41 million per year is spent by local governments on Austin lobbyists, East Houston News reported.

“Taxpayer-funded lobbyists have opposed property tax relief, election integrity, disclosures of what bonds truly cost taxpayers, the constitutional ban on a state income tax, and they even opposed the bill to fund and protect our teacher’s retirement pensions,” Middleton told East Houston News. “Taxpayers are forced to pay for lobbyists that lobby against their best interests. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a modern practice and a bad one.”

A majority of Texans oppose their tax revenues being used to pay lobbyists, according to at least one poll. The Texas Public Policy Foundation last year released a poll that found nearly nine out of 10 Texans, or 88%, oppose using tax dollars to pay lobbyists.