Over the years, 13 local retirement systems in seven major metropolitans have successfully lobbied the Legislature to have some or all of their pension plans codified in state law, making pension reform difficult, if not impossible, to realize without first getting legislation passed at the statehouse.
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