Top Issues in the 87th: Locally Funded Advocacy
As the 87th Texas Legislative Session gets underway, the Lubbock Chamber is highlighting some of the key issues we’re focused on in Austin. Previous issue spotlights included broadband access and support for maintaining K-12 education funding which you can read about here.
The next issue is one that could impact local control and would restrict the input of school districts, cities, and counties to work with the state of Texas on key legislation. Some state officials have advocated for a ban on what they call “taxpayer-funded lobbying”.
Texas is a large and diverse state. Among the 254 counties and 40+ cities with a population greater than 100,000 all spread out over hundreds of miles, it’s not a stretch to think that different localities would be impacted differently by certain legislation. Eliminating their ability to lobby during the legislative process could certainly result in disparate impacts.
Beyond that, the Texas Legislature likely has much bigger proverbial fish to fry. Still battling the public health, economic, and educational setbacks brought on by COVID-19 and facing a $1 billion shortfall, what exactly does a ban on local lobbying do to confront the state’s biggest challenges?
The Texas Constitution outlines that the Legislature meets for 140 days every two years. While some may joke that it should actually meet for two days every 140 years, the brevity of the session is a feature of the system, not a bug. It is designed to have the Legislature pass a budget and address the most pressing needs of the state.
In a year when hospitals have been overwhelmed, rural West Texans are struggling to access broadband for virtual school or telehealthcare, businesses have closed, and workers have been laid off, we respectfully don’t think local lobbying should be a primary focus for legislators this session.
The next issue is one that could impact local control and would restrict the input of school districts, cities, and counties to work with the state of Texas on key legislation. Some state officials have advocated for a ban on what they call “taxpayer-funded lobbying”.
The surface-level concern is valid, and perhaps there is a compromise that can be reached. Maybe it’s not the best use of taxpayer dollars for cities and counties to spend loads of money on lobbying fees. But while that may be a decision best left up to the locality itself, if the state is going to act on this it should maintain certain tenets:
- It should not limit the ability of local officials to communicate with legislators
- It should not limit the ability of trade associations, however their revenue is derived, to communicate with legislators
Texas is a large and diverse state. Among the 254 counties and 40+ cities with a population greater than 100,000 all spread out over hundreds of miles, it’s not a stretch to think that different localities would be impacted differently by certain legislation. Eliminating their ability to lobby during the legislative process could certainly result in disparate impacts.
Beyond that, the Texas Legislature likely has much bigger proverbial fish to fry. Still battling the public health, economic, and educational setbacks brought on by COVID-19 and facing a $1 billion shortfall, what exactly does a ban on local lobbying do to confront the state’s biggest challenges?
The Texas Constitution outlines that the Legislature meets for 140 days every two years. While some may joke that it should actually meet for two days every 140 years, the brevity of the session is a feature of the system, not a bug. It is designed to have the Legislature pass a budget and address the most pressing needs of the state.
In a year when hospitals have been overwhelmed, rural West Texans are struggling to access broadband for virtual school or telehealthcare, businesses have closed, and workers have been laid off, we respectfully don’t think local lobbying should be a primary focus for legislators this session.
