Good morning,

Today’s Texas Minute starts with a quote, setting the stage for the theme of this Monday’s missive.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan

Monday, October 12, 2020

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Quote-Unquote

“To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” – Thomas Jefferson​

The existence of taxpayer-funded lobbying means that taxpayers are literally forced to fund their legislative opposition.

Grassroots conservatives across Texas worked [[link removed]] to make a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying not only a part of the GOP platform, but also one of the Republican Party’s eight legislative priorities [[link removed]] heading into the 2021 legislative session – as it was two years ago.

Basically, taxpayer-funded lobbying occurs when cities, counties, schools, or other taxing entities spend their revenues to hire outside lawyers and contract-based lobbyists to convince lawmakers in Austin to adopt or oppose specific policies. Often this is done to oppose pro-taxpayer policies (such as property tax relief and reform or measures of increased accountability and transparency).

As State Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) has pointed out, much of the money spent by government to lobby government went toward efforts contrary to the interests of their own constituents. Lobbyists hired with taxpayer dollars worked against common sense legislative reforms like limiting property taxes. Another form of taxpayer-funded lobbying is done through public agency associations [[link removed]] like the Texas Municipal League, Texas Association of Counties, and many sub-affiliates. Unaccountable to voters, these groups shield the elected officials in their membership from the consequences of bad policy. These groups are operated from the dues paid by taxing entities out of tax revenues.

The Texas Municipal League, for example, was caught in 2019 instructing cities in the best practices for “ Shaking The Money Tree [[link removed]]” – their description of increasing the tax burden. Earlier this year we posted a two-minute explainer video on YouTube [[link removed]] about taxpayer-funded lobbying.

Abolition of taxpayer-funded lobbying is also one of the main planks in the Lone Star Agenda, developed and advocated for by hundreds of grassroots leaders. Despite GOP majorities in both chambers, legislation banning the practice did not become law in 2019. A ban did pass the Senate.

Sadly, 85 members of the 150-member Texas House voted against [[link removed]] the pro-taxpayer position – including nearly two dozen Republicans. This treachery came even after the bill’s House sponsor agreed to water down his measure in order to get it passed. Tracy Marshall of the watchdog group TransparencyUSA recently wrote that “TWICE as much money has been spent on lobbying [[link removed]] as all the contributions to Texas candidates and PACs combined.” Indeed, “more than $640 million has been committed to lobbying in Texas.”

Of that total, “ more than $110 million [[link removed]]” comes from taxing entities.

For example, the City of Austin alone has spent [[link removed]] more than $1 million lobbying lawmakers. Former State Rep. Curtis Seidlits (D-Sherman) is their highest-paid contract lobbyist. (In fact, taxing entities make up the overwhelming bulk [[link removed]] of Seidlits’ lobbying clientele.) “[T]he real cost is more than that; if taxpayer-funded lobbyists continue to be successful in killing property tax caps, taxpayers will be on the hook for an additional $8.7 billion in property taxes by 2024 according to a study by Governor Abbott. This practice must end.”

– State Rep. Mayes Middleton Action RecommendationAbolishing the “sinful and tyrannical” practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying will only happen if citizens speak up now, and loudly. Demand that candidates on your ballot for the Texas House and Texas Senate go publicly on the record with their views on taxpayer-funded lobbying. (And send us their answer!)

The same goes for local governments – ask your mayor, city council, and school boards if – and how much – they pay for contracted lobbying services. And then ask how much they “shake the money tree” to pay for the Texas Municipal League and others to lobby against taxpayer protections and property tax relief. Birthday Wishes

Please join me in offering (belated) Sunday birthday wishes to our Metroplex bureau chief, Erin Anderson!

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PO Box 12862, Odessa TX 79768 Produced by Michael Quinn Sullivan and Brandon Waltens, the Texas Minute is a quick look at the news and info of the day we find interesting, and hope you do as well. It is delivered weekday mornings (though we'll take the occasional break for holidays and whatnot).

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