West Houston News

Approximately 88% of Texans oppose taxpayer-funded lobbying and many aren’t aware how they pay for it, according to a Texas Public Policy Foundation poll.

As previously reported by East Houston News, local governments are permitted to pay lobbyists with revenues collected from homeowners for various political causes or reforms, which may or may not benefit the taxpayer. 

A full list of all registered lobbyists is available on the Texas Ethics Commission website.

“Taxpayer-funded lobbyists have opposed property tax relief, election integrity, disclosures of what bonds truly cost taxpayers, the constitutional ban on a state income tax, and they even opposed the bill to fund and protect our teacher’s retirement pensions,” Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) told East Houston News.

After learning that up to $41 million per year is spent by local government on Austin lobbyists, Middleton reportedly called on cities, counties and school districts statewide to reveal their tax revenue spending on lobbying.

For example, in an email, Auditor Billy Doherty told Middleton that Austin County spent no money on lobbying.

“When we prepare our county budget, it is without any lobbying expenditures,” Doherty wrote on Nov. 25. “As county auditor, I would never approve of any expenditures, even remotely related to lobbying. Our insurance provider is the Texas Association of Counties. We pay them to cover workers' comp on our hardworking employees, volunteers and jurors, property and mobile equipment, and multiple other liability coverages. If TAC uses that money to pay for lobbying expenditures, that would be on them. Not on us.”

Although Austin County does not contract with individual lobbyists, Doherty said the county gives money to nonprofit organizations and associations for dues and educational seminars. The organizations and associations include the Austin County Firefighters Association, Meals on Wheels, Crimestoppers, Texas Association of Counties, Tax Assessor Association, Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas, the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Court Reporters Association. 

Doherty said the county pays the Austin County Firefighters Association $5,000 a year as well as $235 per membership to the State Bar of Texas for four prosecutors.

“To my knowledge, the Firefighters Association takes that money and distributes it to the volunteer firefighters so they can get their education training and supplies," Doherty told West Houston News. 

Middleton, along with Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), filed bills last week that, if enacted, will ban cities, counties, and school districts from hiring lobbyists with taxpayer revenue to advocate against laws that could potentially benefit homeowners statewide. The bills are identical, but Middleton filed HB 749 in the state House while Hall filed SB 234. 

“Taxpayer-funded lobbyists have opposed property tax relief, election integrity, disclosures of what bonds truly cost taxpayers, the constitutional ban on a state income tax, and they even opposed the bill to fund and protect our teacher’s retirement pensions,” Middleton told East Houston News.