One big state needs to stop paying lobbyist salaries

Momentum to destruct authorities discarded is sweeping the federation — from Washington’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to parallel initiatives successful Texas. In that spirit, we precocious met to sermon Senate Bill 19 (SB19), which authorities Senator Mayes Middleton authored, and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick designated a apical legislative priority.  

It would marque Texas the archetypal authorities to prohibition the usage of nationalist funds for lobbying — indispensable to reconstruct enactment principles and defund corrupt, anti-taxpayer peculiar interests. We are a authorities of the people, by the radical and for the people, which makes utilizing the people’s wealth to propulsion peculiar interests untenable. 

What precisely is taxpayer-funded lobbying? In caller years, Texas has seen a surge of section governments, schoolhouse districts and associations — specified arsenic the Texas Association of School Boards — hiring lobbyists with your taxation dollars to wine, dine and entertain legislators successful an effort to power legislation. 

PROTESTERS WEIGH IN ON ELON MUSK'S SPACEX HOME BECOMING NEWEST CITY IN SOUTH TEXAS

Tax-funded lobbying serves peculiar interests, not the nationalist interest 

Under Texas law, "lobbying" refers to registered Austin lobbyists hired oregon contracted to power legislation. Despite taxpayers’ anticipation that authorities entities enactment successful the public’s interest, section governments, schoolhouse districts and associations regularly prosecute lobbyists to thwart the volition of voters. 

The Texas legislature is battling to escaped Texas residents from having to money groups that lobby against the volition of voters. FILE: Texas authorities Capitol successful Austin, Texas. (Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)

Your taxation dollars are being utilized to lobby for divisive, left-wing causes. Progressive politicians backed by radicals similar billionaire George Soros usage hundreds of millions of dollars to effort and unit their docket connected the Texas legislature to termination common-sense policies and propulsion the authorities left.  

For example, taxpayer-funded lobbyists successful Texas walk nationalist funds to reason bans connected men entering women's restrooms. Worse still, galore unelected bureaucrats and regulators are captured by the precise industries they oversee, utilizing taxation dollars connected lobbyists who entrench oligopolies and crush competition.  

Unsurprisingly, taxpayer-funded lobbyists besides reason taxation alleviation and alternatively enactment expanding income taxes, state taxes and raising conveyance registration fees. They’ve lobbied against common-sense issues specified arsenic borderline security, elector ID, teacher wage raises, predetermination integrity with citizenship verification and parental prime successful education. 

Tax dollars service halfway functions — not lobbyists 

At a clip erstwhile Texas faces existent problems successful nationalist safety, infrastructure and indispensable services, spending upwards of $100 cardinal annually connected lobbyists is indefensible. The nationalist overwhelmingly agrees.  

A caller nationalist sentiment canvass reveals that 81% of Texans reason the signifier and would similar that the Texas legislature abolish it. Rather than discarded wealth arming ideological opponents to combat for causes Texans reject, Texas leaders should boldly prosecute a amended future: investing invaluable taxation dollars successful roads oregon instrumentality enforcement or, amended yet, offering Texans taxation relief. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Crucially, SB19 successful nary mode silences section governments. Local officials tin inactive call, constitute and attest earlier the legislature — precisely arsenic our founders intended. Cities, and so each section governments, were created to service the people, and the radical are bushed of having their voices drowned retired by hired guns utilizing their ain taxation dollars against them.  

A prohibition connected taxpayer-funded lobbying encourages nonstop practice and communication. It successful nary mode prevents section elected officials oregon their unit from communicating with the legislature, traveling to Austin, oregon incurring related expenses to marque their dependable heard. 

Your taxation dollars are being utilized to lobby for divisive, left-wing causes. Progressive politicians backed by radicals similar billionaire George Soros usage hundreds of millions of dollars to effort and unit their docket connected the Texas legislature to termination common-sense policies and propulsion the authorities left.  

Tax-funded lobbying undermines law principles 

All authorities is created by the people, who assistance it powers to correspond us. By backing lobbyists who propulsion agendas voters reject, section governments interruption the consent of the governed and interruption the halfway rule of practice from which the American and Texas constitutions deduce their authority. In effect, entrenched bureaucrats make a self-sustaining rhythm of power that subverts genuine democracy. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

By continuing to let nationalist funds to travel into the hands of progressive peculiar interests that undermine the precise principles Texans clasp dear, we hazard eroding the law foundations connected which our authorities and federation were built. As portion of this broader struggle, taxpayer-funded lobbying is the USAID of Texas, but the DOGE initiative — including SB19 — aims to defund this egregious waste.  

By passing SB19, we volition fortify nationalist spot and guarantee taxation dollars service Texans’ existent needs, not the interests of bureaucrats and their hired guns. This session, we anticipation you volition articulation america successful the telephone to yet prohibition taxpayer-funded lobbying erstwhile and for all. It is clip to amusement the state that authorities of, by and for the radical thrives present successful the Lone Star State. 

Joe Lonsdale is an entrepreneur and investor. He co-founded Palantir Technologies and the task steadfast 8VC. He is the president of the University of Austin (UATX) and the Cicero Institute, a nationwide argumentation group.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JOE LONSDALE