Sen. Bob Hall | ATexasRanger, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Sen. Bob Hall | ATexasRanger, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
A Texas lawmaker continues to question cities, counties and school districts in the state – including Lake Worth ISD – on how much taxpayer revenue they use to hire lobbyists.
Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) sent letters to hundreds of school districts and municipalities asking them to disclose lobbying expenditures.
Lake Worth ISD, in response to Middleton's request, sent a budget report to Middleton which shows in line item 41** an payment of $1,000. On the bottom of the budget, it states that the new expenditure, code 41**, is in response to House Bill 1495 that requires "school districts to reflect in their proposed budget a line item indicating expenditures for 'directly' or 'indirectly' influencing or attempting to influence the outcome of legislation or administrative action."
Aside from the $1,000 listed as lobbying in the budget, association membership dues paid by Lake Worth ISD are also used for lobbying purposes.
Lake Worth ISD, when asked by NE Tarrant News about these dues and lobbying, responded it does not spend "directly" on lobbyists.
"Lake Worth ISD does not spend any dollars directly on lobbying," Jessica Gauthier, district communications coordinator for the Lake Worth ISD, said. "We budget $40,000 for dues to various Texas associations and professional organizations that provide training, certifications, and professional development, of which about 3% of those dues goes towards lobbying efforts with the various associations."
Middleton and Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) filed two lobbying bills last week, HB 740 and SB 234, respectively. If passed, the laws wills prohibit taxpayer revenue from being used on lobbying against legislation that potentially benefit Texas homeowners.
East Houston News reported that data from the Middleton's office shows up to $41 million per year is spent by local governments on Austin lobbyists.
“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. “Taxpayers are forced to pay for lobbyists that lobby against their best interests. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a modern practice and a bad one.”
A poll taken in 2019 by the Texas Public Policy Foundation found nearly nine out of 10 Texans oppose the practice of taxpayer funds going to lobbying efforts.