In a new solutions paper by the Huffines Liberty Foundation, the research institute outlines the steps the Texas Legislature can take to end taxpayer-funded lobbying.
“Taxpayer-funded lobbying is undermining the voice of Texans in government and diluting one of their most precious rights—the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances,” according to HLF. “In 2021, local governments in Texas spent millions of dollars in taxpayer money to hire registered lobbyists, often to fight against the very people funding them. This practice is a direct threat to citizens’ constitutional rights and must be stopped.”
Local governments spent about $75 million on registered lobbyists. This number does not include the salaries of in-house lobbyists and funds funneled to pro-government associations such as the Texas Municipal League and Texas Association of School Boards—meaning the actual cost of taxpayer-funded lobbying is much higher.
“Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a perversion of our system,” former State Sen. Don Huffines told Texas Scorecard. “It allows government to use your hard-earned money to cover up corruption and work against your interests. The Texas Legislature must act to restore balance and protect the constitutional right of Texans to have their voices heard without interference from government-funded lobbyists.”
HLF’s paper emphasized that banning taxpayer-funded lobbying is about fighting to ensure tax dollars do not go towards concealing misconduct and killing citizen-priority legislation:
One of the most dangerous aspects of taxpayer-funded lobbying is its use to shield government entities from accountability. Lobbyists paid with public funds are often deployed to block audits, investigations, and transparency measures that could expose waste, fraud, or corruption within government.
To ensure citizens’ voices are not stifled, HLF recommends banning lobbying with public funds, prohibiting membership dues to lobbyist organizations, and banning lobbying by businesses receiving tax abatement.
“The Texas Legislature must act to restore the balance of power and protect the citizens’ right to petition their government without interference from local governments and special interests,” the paper concluded. “By implementing these reforms, we can ensure that the interests of Texans—not lobbyists—are heard in Austin.”
“I am optimistic this could be the Legislative Session where we finally ban taxpayer-funded lobbying,” Huffines said.
Banning taxpayer-funded lobbying is a Texas GOP priority for the upcoming legislative session, which begins on January 14.
The Huffines Liberty Foundation solutions paper can be found here.
