Almost 60 state and local elected officials agree: Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for lobbyists who advocate for higher taxes, more spending, and bigger government. As a concrete show of support, these officials have put their names to a new pledge to ban lobbying funded by taxpayers.
The pledge to end this practice—which allows “cities, counties, school districts, and special districts spend public money to hire professional lobbyists to engage in the legislative process”—is short and to the point.
“We, the undersigned, strongly oppose any governmental jurisdiction from hiring contract lobbyists, directly or indirectly, to lobby the Texas Legislature or another governmental jurisdiction. We urge all Texans to help ban taxpayer funded contract lobbying, and encourage local elected officials and their staffs to directly represent Texans’ local interests before the Legislature.”
This particular pledge is important because it sends a clear message on an issue of great significance. Lobbying with tax dollars has long been the root cause of countless bad decisions and it’s hastening the California-zation of Texas. If conservatives can finally end this pernicious practice, then we’ll not only improve the quality of policymaking but also ensure that Texas remains a conservative bastion well into the future.
Now is the time for every elected official to let it be known where they stand—with taxpayers or tax spenders. Their answer will speak volumes.