Ever since his entry into the State Senate, Sen. Mayes Middleton wanted to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying. In authoring SB 19, it looked like he was going to achieve that goal this session.

And then Sen. Robert Nichols happened, offering an amendment to exempt full-time employees of local governments from lobbying for their association.

Hire a lobbyist? No need. Just make them an employee.

Middleton argued the change essentially gutted the bill - because it did.

GOP Platform Conflict: Plank 212 opposes tax dollars for lobbying.

20250319_SB19_2R_FA5: Yea 15 (R 7, D 8) - Nay 13 (R 13, D 0) View Source Yea - Alvarado; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Eckhardt; Hancock; Huffman; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Nichols; Perry; Schwertner; Zaffirini Nay - A. Hinojosa; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Creighton; Flores; Hagenbuch; Hall; Hughes; King; Middleton; Parker; Paxton; Sparks Absent - Gutierrez; Miles; West

(Bill summary provided in part by Texas Policy Research)