The Texas Senate passed legislation intended to ban “taxpayer-funded lobbying” late Wednesday night, but tacked on an amendment that exempts groups like the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).
State Sen. Mayes Middleton’s (R-Galveston) Senate Bill (SB) 19 passed along party lines last night in a marathon floor proceeding. The bill prohibits local governments from hiring registered lobbyists under the Texas Ethics Commission and allows citizens to sue those localities if they violate the ban. It applies only to political subdivisions and not constitutional offices, like county sheriffs.
