public:cb_mirror:cos_joins_state_wide_coalition_in_lobbyist_challenge_txt_blogposts_8333
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COS Joins State-Wide Coalition in Lobbyist Challenge
Along with other groups, the COS Texas team advocated for the over-taxed citizens of our state by supporting a ban on taxpayer-funding lobbying ban.
| The COS Texas team has been making its voice heard on liberty-related issues being addressed by the Texas legislature during the 2019 session. Along with other groups, the team advocated for the over-taxed citizens of our state by supporting a ban on taxpayer-funding lobbying, as noted by Star Local Media: > A coalition of advocacy groups supports the measure. They include the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), Americans for Tax Reform, the Republican Party of Texas, Grassroots America–We the People, Americans for Prosperity (AFP)–Texas, Convention of States, and the Kingwood TEA Party. In spite of this concerted effort, the lobbying ban measure fell short. SB 29, the last opportunity for the 86th Legislature to relieve Texans of the preposterous practice of having their tax dollars used to lobby for higher taxes, went up in flames during the final week of the session. With its defeat, it remains legal for political subdivisions (basically any taxing jurisdiction) to spend public funds to hire lobbyists for the purpose of supporting or opposing legislation. The bill that would have limited local governments’ ability to push for more spending, higher taxes, and less accountability, sponsored by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, passed the Senate with only one Republican and all Democrats voting against it. When it moved to the house, however, SB 29 was voted down 58-85 after a series of floor maneuvers and amendments altered the substance and intent of the bill. Most notably, the amendment by Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) changed the bill to include only counties with a population of 250,000+ and municipalities within those counties, which then left only 20 of Texas’s 254 counties to which the bill would apply. The bill that was intended to protect all taxpayers and ratepayers from any political subdivision or special district was watered down to help only a fraction of taxpayers, thereby killing the legislation. This despite Texans’ overwhelming opposition to taxpayer-funded lobbying. Nearly nine out of ten Texans (88%) say they oppose using tax dollars to fund lobbyists to just five percent who say they support it. Fully 78 percent say they strongly oppose taxpayer money going to lobbyists, says a poll by WPA Intelligence. “Government—especially local governments in Texas—has no business handing millions of taxpayer dollars over to lobbyists,” said Chuck DeVore, vice president of national initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “Those are critical funds that should be used for education, public safety, property tax relief or other priorities that benefit taxpayers directly.” Michael Deffendall, Texas COS Legislative Liaison, says that the Texas team has been pushing for the elimination of taxpayer-funded lobbying as a part of its larger property tax reform and relief efforts. State Director Shelby Williams sent out a call to action to COS volunteers, urging support for SB 29. But volunteer phone calls weren’t enough to save the bill from being whittled down and dying in the House. “The problem is that there is so much important legislation going on simultaneously,” said Deffendall, “and it is difficult to mount an effective effort for (or against) all of it. “When all we cared about was our own resolution, we could focus all of our energy on that,” he said. “Being an advocate for self-governance and liberty is not easy.” The COS team understands that true self-governance involves a long-term commitment to engagement in civic issues. Even challenges and set-backs are an an opportunity to grow in our skills and understanding and build relationships with liberty-loving patriots all across the great state of Texas. |
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| Login Required to view? | No |
| Created: | 2019-05-23 22:00 GMT |
| Updated: | 2022-09-16 05:35 GMT |
| Published: | 2019-05-28 07:00 GMT |
| Converted: | 2025-11-11 11:55 GMT |
| Change Author: | Shelby Murphy |
| Credit Author: | |
public/cb_mirror/cos_joins_state_wide_coalition_in_lobbyist_challenge_txt_blogposts_8333.txt · Last modified: 2025/11/11 11:55 by 127.0.0.1