Counties currently have sufficient authority to manage land use within their borders. The correct action is to extend the existing statutory protections against regulatory takings to cover city regulatory authority. Protecting private property rights through keeping land use controls in check is crucial to Texas’ continued economic and job growth.
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