West DFW News

State Rep. Mayes Middleton, a second-term Republican from Wallisville, has made ending taxpayer-funded lobbying and revealing how much cities, towns, counties and school districts spend on the practice, his primary focus in Austin.

The lawmaker recently sent letters to school districts and municipalities in the state requesting information on how much was spent on lobbying efforts.

Glen Rose Independent School District Superintendent G. Wayne Rotan responded to the request from Middleton with a one-sentence letter and attached information sheet showing the district budgeted $2,000 for the 2020-21 fiscal year for “directly or indirectly attempting to influence legislation,” as Middleton phrased it in his request.

As of Dec. 1, the date the district both received his request and responded, it had spent $228, Rotan wrote. He retired at the end of 2020.

The district’s superintendent secretary, Dana Rigano, however, told West DFW News the figure was actually zero.

“The district does not spend district funds directly for lobbying or advocacy,” Rigano said, adding that it did pay dues to groups that do lobby in Austin. 

“The district pays dues to the following associations in the amounts indicated: Texas School Coalition, $3,000 and Texas Association of School Boards, $4,100.02,” Rigano said.

Some of that money is used for lobbying, she said, adding, “Based on information the district receives from the associations, the following amounts of the district’s dues were used by that association for advocacy: Texas School Coalition: $228.”

That matches the figure Rotan provided to Middleton.

Rigano said the district had no role in determining what goals were set or strategies used in lobbying.

“The associations’ governing boards make those decisions,” she said.

Nor was she aware of their plans and how they will use their members’ money. Glen Rose pays its dues and does not inquire further, she said.

“Please direct this question to each association,” Rigano said.

Middleton has requested information from about 3,000 local governments, asking how much they spend on lobbying. He has found some resistance as well as an effort by the Texas Municipal League to advise its members how to respond to his request.

In some cases cities are using the exact language provided for them by the league to respond to Middleton’s request.

Middleton said taxpayers haven’t been funding lobbyists for a long time, and he sees no need to make it a tradition.

Taxpayer-funded lobbyists have opposed property tax relief, election integrity, disclosures of what bonds truly cost taxpayers, the state 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 in December.

Despite the challenges, Middleton and Second District Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood) vowed during the 2020 session to continue their efforts to end taxpayer-funded lobbying.

Middleton filed House Bill 749 on Dec. 7 to end the practice.

The legislation says a political subdivision "may not spend public funds to hire an individual required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 for the purpose of lobbying a member of the legislature or pay a nonprofit state association or organization that primarily represents political subdivisions; and hires or contracts with an individual required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305.”

It’s a position the vast majority of Texans agree with, according to a 2019 survey conducted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation. It found that 88% of state residents oppose public dollars being paid to lobbyists, with 78% strongly opposing.

“Government – especially local governments in Texas – has no business handing millions of taxpayer dollars over to lobbyists,” Chuck DeVore, vice president of national initiatives at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, said in a release. “Those are critical funds that should be used for education, public safety, property tax relief or other priorities that benefit taxpayers directly. It is time to end taxpayer-funded lobbying in Texas to ensure taxpayers are not footing the bill for special interests in Austin.”