Multiple federal initiatives over the last 12 months signal a major departure from longstanding deference to state control of our water supply. Federal interference with Texas decisions about water quantity threaten development of water projects necessary to meet rapidly growing need for water.
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...