Spotlight: The Texas Enterprise Fund was written by Vice President of Research and Center for Economic Freedom Director Bill Peacock and Center for Economic Freedom Research Associate Cody Ross. A business funded by the TEF must file an application with specific plans for its projects and the expected economic 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