To see the table below correctly, you'll need to view on a desktop or laptop.
On Monday May 20, 2019 the Texas House of representatives had a chance to curtail a long running practice where taxing entities like cities, schools and toll road projects would no longer be able to hire professional lobbyist with tax payer dollars, in order to lobby our legislators, many times against those same tax payers.
Senate Bill 29 authored by Senator Bob Hall who represents Senate District 2, originally sought to stop the practice outright. It was very similar legislation and companion to House Bill 281, authored by Rep. Mayes Middleton in the house. Middleton's bill died in the House Calendars Committee on April 11. This bill had 37 co-authors including East Texas reps Cody Harris, District 8, and Cole Hefner, District 5. SB 29 passed in the Senate on April 17, 18-13 with all Republicans voting Aye except Kel Seliger of SD 31.
On May 17, Rep. Dade Phelan of House District 21 offered a substitute to SB 29 in the House Committee on State Affairs. The substitute offered language that restricted any political subdivision that imposed a tax or regional mobility authority, toll road or transit authority from lobbying efforts. Read the substitute here. The substitute actually made it through the committee process on to the house floor.
For whatever reason, Rep. Middleton offered an amendment to the substitute that effectively exempted school districts, toll roads and the RMA's, leaving only in place county's and cities. There were several other changes that effected the bill within his amendment, to many to go through here but if you'd like to read through it, click here. Rep. Ashby, District 57 out of Lufkin offered an amendment to Middleton's amendment where the bill would only effect county's with populations larger than 250,000 residents. This amendment would limit the law to only a handful of counties in Texas. Ashby's amendment was approved by a vote of 90-54. East Texas reps voting for: Ashby, Bailes, Clardy, Dean, K. Bell, Harris, Paddie, and VanDeaver.
Amendment 1 as amended was approved by a vote of 81-59, All of the above Yea votes stayed the same with the exception of Paddie and Dean. Dean said he intended to vote Yes. Harris said he intended to vote No.
Several other amendments were offered that watered down this bill even further and when all was said and done, the bill failed by a vote of 58-85. East Texas reps that voted NO were; Ashby, K. Bell, Bailes, Clardy and VanDeaver. Voting FOR were Dean, Harris, Hefner and Schaefer. Over all, there were 24 Republicans that voted NO, in order to keep the practice of tax payer funded lobbying.
To sum up, the correct vote for Ashby's amendment would have been NO, the correct vote on Middleton's amendment would have been NO (watered down bill), and the correct vote on the bill itself was YES. (It at least would have been a start)
BTW, here are the campaign donation numbers for all in the last reporting cycle. Notice a pattern?
Paddie Ashby Bell, K. Dean Clardy
PAC's $226,564 $97,292 $54,606 $41,500 $50,375
Lobbyist $ 36,000 $10,650 $ 1,000 $ 800 $ 3,500
Ind. Out of District $ 27,500 $100,475 $19,000 $ 9,150 $26,375
Ind. In the District $ 28,775 $ 2,350 $16,250 $33,750 $ 450
Total $318,839 $210,767 $90,856 $85,200 $80,700
VanDeaver Harris Hefner Bailes Schaefer
PAC's $36,735 $29,541 $20,015 $19,750 $8,500
Lobbyist $ 1,500 $ 4,650 $ 3,700 $ 00 $ 500
Ind Out of District $16,720 $ 4,498 $ 8,100 $ 7,500 $1,100
Ind In the District $ 500 $ 9,050 $10,050 $ 3,350 $ 630
Total $55,455 $47,739 $41,865 $30,600 $10,730
