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.
Taxes & Spending
Will the Texas Legislature Finally Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying?
On Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott announced that the First Called Special Session of the 89th Texas Legislature, which is set to begin on July 21, 2025, would focus on one-and-a-half dozen agenda items Among those 18 items, one in particular is especially noteworthy from a policy perspective—banning taxpayer-funded lobbying. The charge itself calls for: BAN...
July 10, 2025