This letter requests that the Sunset Advisory Commission, as part of its review of the Texas Department of Public Safety, examine the issue of the Private Security Board’s disqualification of many otherwise qualified professionals from occupations such as locksmith and alarm salesperson solely because of a minor criminal offense that occurred many years ago.
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