WHEREAS, the Republican Party of Texas identified banning taxpayer-funded lobbying as a top Legislative Priority, with 86% of grassroots delegates at the 2024 Republican Party of Texas State Convention voting to support this plank, making it the fifth-highest Priority of the Party; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 19, authored by Senator Mayes Middleton, originally proposed a meaningful and enforceable ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying by preventing entities like the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and the Texas Municipal League (TML) – which derive the vast majority of their funding from taxpayer-financed membership dues – from lobbying the Texas Legislature; and
WHEREAS, an amendment authored by Senator Robert Nichols and supported by seven Republican senators – Donna Campbell, Kelly Hancock, Joan Huffman, Lois Kolkhorst, Robert Nichols, Charles Perry, and Charles Schwertner – along with eight Democrats, was adopted during the Senate floor debate on SB 19, effectively gutting the bill by inserting loopholes that allow organizations such as TASB and TML to continue lobbying if they employ lobbyists directly rather than contracting with them, and by removing language that addressed the use of taxpayer funds in non-profit lobbying activities; and
WHEREAS, this amendment undermines the intent and spirit of SB 19, opens a massive loophole for taxpayer-funded lobbying to continue unchecked, and constitutes a direct rejection of the will of Republican voters and the Legislative Priorities of the Republican Party of Texas: this codifies taxpayer-funded lobbying in Texas; and
WHEREAS, thirteen Republican senators – Paul Bettencourt, Brian Birdwell, Brandon Creighton, Pete Flores, Brent Hagenbuch, Bob Hall, Adam Hinojosa, Bryan Hughes, Phil King, Mayes Middleton, Tan Parker, Angela Paxton, and Kevin Sparks – stood strong and voted against the amendment, honoring the will of Republican delegates and defending the integrity of SB 19; now
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas strongly condemns the amendment to SB 19 that gutted its original intent and condemns the Republican senators who voted in favor of the amendment in violation of the clearly stated Legislative Priorities of the Republican Party of Texas; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas commends the 13 Republican senators who voted against the amendment and stood with the grassroots, the Platform, and the Legislative Priorities of the Republican Party of Texas; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls on the Texas House of Representatives to restore the original language of SB 19 and close the loopholes added by the Senate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas urges Republican voters to hold accountable any elected officials who undermine the Legislative Priorities of the Republican grassroots, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, all other Republican members of the Texas Legislature.
