The Financial Waste Fueling Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
This commentary was written by Don Huffines exclusively for The Dallas Express and published here.
Every year, millions of taxpayer dollars are used against the very people who fund them. Local governments in Texas are spending this money on high-powered lobbyists to block conservative legislation, protect bureaucratic interests, and suppress the voices of Texas citizens. This practice, known as taxpayer-funded lobbying, is not just wasteful—it’s a direct threat to our liberty.
When Texans think of government lobbying, they might picture special interest groups or big corporations influencing policy. But what happens when the lobbyists are hired using your own tax dollars to silence your voice? This is the grim reality facing Texans today. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is drowning out citizen voices, undermining transparency, and shielding government corruption from scrutiny.
Let me share my personal history on this issue. When I served in the Texas Senate from 2014 to 2018, I began investigating a Dallas County government agency called Dallas County Schools, which had over 3000 employees. It had a countywide tax, an elected board, and a budget of over $100 million. But what I discovered was shocking—this agency was stealing millions of dollars from Dallas County taxpayers.
I got the FBI and Texas Rangers involved. Ultimately, six people were sent to prison, including the Mayor Pro-Tem of the Dallas City Council. Dallas County Schools no longer exists today because I passed legislation to get rid of it overnight.
But here’s the kicker: it wasn’t easy. These crooks spent $1.3 million of stolen taxpayer money to hire three of the best lobby firms in Austin to defeat my investigation and stop the forensic audits. They were determined to protect their racket. Thankfully, they didn’t succeed, but the fact remains—taxpayer dollars were used to fight against transparency and accountability.
This is why we need to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying in Texas. When local governments use public money to hire lobbyists, they’re not acting in your best interest. Instead, they’re deploying these lobbyists to defeat citizen-priority bills, block oversight, and suppress legislation that would expose waste and corruption.
In 2021, local governments in Texas spent $75 million on registered lobbyists. This staggering figure doesn’t even include the hidden costs of in-house lobbyists or the taxpayer-funded associations like the Texas Municipal League and the Texas Association of School Boards, which funnel more money into lobbying efforts. The Texas Public Policy Foundation reports that these expenses have nearly doubled since 2017, climbing from $41 million to $75 million in just four years.
This isn’t just a misuse of public money—it’s an attack on the right of Texans to petition their government. Citizen voices are being drowned out by taxpayer-funded lobbyists who often advocate for higher taxes, increased spending, and measures that serve the interests of bureaucrats, not the public.
The most dangerous aspect of taxpayer-funded lobbying is how it protects a long list of government entities from accountability, such as toll roads, water districts, hospital districts, and many other special districts the Texas Legislature creates. In my case, taxpayer-funded lobbyists tried to suppress my investigation into Dallas County Schools’ corruption. But it doesn’t stop there. Lobbyists paid with your tax dollars are being used across Texas to block transparency, audits, and efforts to rein in government misconduct.
The solution is clear: we need to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying once and for all.
Here’s how:
Prohibit the Use of Public Funds for Lobbying: Local governments should be banned from using taxpayer dollars to hire or contract with registered lobbyists.
End Membership Dues to Lobbyist Organizations: Prohibit any government agencies, cities, counties, and school boards from using taxpayer money to pay membership dues to organizations that employ or contract with registered lobbyists, such as the Texas Municipal League or the Texas Association of School Boards.
Stop Public Funds from Influencing Legislation: Political subdivisions must be barred from using any public money to influence the passage or defeat of legislation.
Ban Lobbying by Businesses Receiving Taxpayer Subsidies: Businesses that receive property tax abatements or other taxpayer-funded incentives should not be allowed to hire lobbyists. It’s a conflict of interest when companies lobby for more taxpayer-funded perks.
Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a perversion of our system. It allows local governments to use your hard-earned money to 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.
It’s time to take back control and ensure that when Texans speak, their voices aren’t drowned out by a system rigged against them. Ending taxpayer-funded lobbying is a critical step in restoring transparency and accountability in government.