Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a common practice in which “[local] governmental entities spend public money to hire registered lobbyists to advocate for and against specific legislative proposals. These progovernment advocacy efforts are routinely at odds with private citizens’ liberties and finances” (Quintero & Welton, 2023, p. 2). It is estimated that political subdivisions spent as much as $75 million contracting with lobbyists to advocate for larger budgets, more taxing authority, and greater regulatory control Quintero & Welton, 2023, p. 1) Several members of the 89th Texas Legislature have made it a top priority to end the practice of taxpayer funded lobbying this year.
Local Government
When Government Lobbies Itself: Why Texas Should Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
Texas local governments use taxpayer dollars to hire lobbyists to influence state legislation—creating conflicts of interest, distorting democratic accountability, and undermining the interests of Texas taxpayers. Key points: Taxpayer-funded lobbying expenditures more than doubled from the 85th to the 89th Legislature, now reaching as high as $111.5 million. Taxpayer-funded lobbyists consistently opposed legislation involving property...
April 6, 2026