Texas Republicans are continuing to rally around a proposal aimed at prohibiting lobbyists from using taxpayer dollars to push agendas that work against taxpayers by introducing it as a ballot question this March to keep the topic alive.
Though the measure failed to pass during the 2019 legislative session, lawmakers were able to make headway by making it mandatory for local governments to reveal how much money they spent on lobbying. The goal now is to continue to support the issue by placing it on a ballot for Republican voters to have their say in the primary elections set for Tuesday, March 3.
Voters will have a total of 21 ballot questions to decide on this year. The Texas Republican party is responsible for 11 of the proposals, which includes the Republican Party Ballot Proposition 3, while the remaining 10 have been brought forward by Texas Democrats.
“Texas should ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying, which allows your tax dollars to be spent on lobbyists who work against the taxpayer," proposition 3 states.
While the proposition would not carry the same weight as the bill, it’s a good way to gauge the importance of the topic for Republican voters.
“Keep in mind that this is an opinion poll of Republican voters and not a policy referendum,” The Texas Republican Party stated on its website. “When you vote YES or NO, you are telling us what you think should happen. You are not voting to make a law but merely saying you agree or disagree with the statement.”
One of the major supporters of banning taxpayer-funded lobbying is Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville). He introduced a similar bill back in 2013 as a new legislator. The bill did not pass.
Despite the loss, Middleton is determined to give taxpayers insight on how their local governments are funding lobbyists.
Toward the end of the year, Middleton sent out 3,000 to local governments requesting details on the money spent on lobbying. Some have complied with the request while others have either failed to disclose their records or claimed they didn’t spend any money on lobbying.
Early voting begins Tuesday, Feb. 18 and continues through to Friday, Feb. 28.
