Taxpayer-funded lobbying

Taxpayer-funded lobbying is the practice of using funds that come directly or indirectly from taxpayers for political lobbying purposes. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is one government lobbying another.[1][2] Essentially taxpayer-funded lobbying is when tax dollars are used to pay lobbyists to go to state or federal legislatures to ask for more tax dollars.[3] "In other words, it's one arm of government trying to influence another arm of government, usually in a publicly funded quest for more money or power."[4]

Variants

There are several variations of taxpayer-funded lobbying found in the United States. One variant is where state-level government agencies use public funds to retain lobbyists to lobby the state or federal legislature. Another form of taxpayer-funded lobbying occurs when local political subdivisions of the state use public funds to lobby the state or federal government.[5][6][7][8]

State-level agency

Publicly-funded lobbying by state-level agencies is the use of public funds by a state agency to represent the agency's interests to their legislature. [9] [10][11]

Local political subdivisions

Taxpayer-funded lobbying by local political subdivisions can take two main forms: direct and association. [12][13][14] In the first type, local political subdivisions of the state, such as, cities, counties, and school districts, use public funds to contract directly with a lobbyist to lobby on their behalf at the state or federal legislature. The second and most common form of taxpayer-funded lobbying by local political subdivisions occurs through associations of similarly situated governmental entities such as the National League of Cities, National Association of Counties, or the National School Boards Association and the various state level affiliates of these types of associations, who collect tax-funded dues to lobby state and federal legislatures on behalf of their members.[15][16][17][18]

Restrictions

Lobbyists on behalf of state and local governments who lobby the federal government are subject to the registration requirements under the Lobbyist Disclosure Act. Individual states issue their own rules that often restrict using state funds for lobbying purposes. [19]

See also

References
  1. Quintero, James (24 December 2018). "Two Views: For something special, an end to taxpayer-funded lobbying". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 14 February 2020. For those not well-versed, taxpayer-funded lobbying is “the practice of using funds that come directly or indirectly from taxpayers for political lobbying purposes.”
  2. "Taxpayer-funded lobbying". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 14 February 2020. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is defined as the practice of using funds that come directly or indirectly from taxpayers for political lobbying purposes.
  3. Kerpen, Phil (17 March 2009). "Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Drives the Earmark Problem". Fox News. Retrieved 14 February 2020. Essentially our tax dollars are used to pay lobbyists to go to Congress and ask for more tax dollars taken from across the country.
  4. Quitero, James (24 December 2018). "Two Views: For something special, an end to taxpayer-funded lobbying". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 14 February 2020. In other words, it’s one arm of government trying to influence another arm of government, usually in a publicly-funded quest for more money or power.
  5. Britschgi, Christian (8 August 2018). "Local Governments Spend Big On Lobbyists". Reason Foundation. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  6. Goldstein, Rebecca; You, Hye Young (2017). "Cities as Lobbyists". American Journal of Political Science. Midwest Political Science Association. 61 (October 2017): 864–876. doi:10.1111/ajps.12306. JSTOR 26379532.
  7. Maciag, Mike (July 2016). "Gov2Gov: The Lobbying That Falls Under the Radar". Governing. Retrieved 13 March 2020. Some governments employ dedicated intergovernmental relations staff, and a select few larger cities maintain personnel in Washington. Many contract with private lobbying firms to give them broader reach. State and national associations further represent governments and groups of officials on a range of issues.
  8. DeVore, Chuck (10 March 2015). "When Tax Money Is Used Against Taxpayers" (PDF). Texas Public Policy Foundation. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  9. "Limiting Public Funds for Lobbying". ncsl.org. National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  10. Clemens, Jason; Kaszton, Julie; Rufer, Karrie; Sucheski, Laura (March 2010). "State-Level Lobbying and Taxpayers: How Much Do We Really Know?" (PDF). https://www.pacificresearch.org/. Pacific Research Institute. Retrieved 13 March 2020. External link in |website= (help)
  11. "Public Agency Lobbying". washington.edu. University of Washington. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  12. Montgomery, David (17 September 2019). "To Rein in Cities, Texas Tries to Ban Their Lobbying". pewtrusts.org. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  13. Weissmann, Shoshana (11 July 2016). "Governor Cracks Down On Government Paying Lobbyists to Lobby Itself". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  14. Holman, Craig; Weissman, Jeremy (2010). "Restrictions on Government Entities Lobbying the Federal Government" (PDF). citizen.org. Public Citizen. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  15. Britschgi, Christian (8 August 2018). "Local Governments Spend Big On Lobbyists". Reason Foundation. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  16. Montgomery, David (17 September 2019). "To Rein in Cities, Texas Tries to Ban Their Lobbying". pewtrusts.org. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  17. Emerson, Andrew H. (11 April 2012). "IN DEFENSE OF TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING: SECURING AN AFFIRMATIVE RIGHT TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMUNICATION" (PDF). imla.org. International Municipal Lawyers Association. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  18. Maciag, Mike (July 2016). "Gov2Gov: The Lobbying That Falls Under the Radar". Governing. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  19. Holman, Craig; Weissman, Jeremy (2010). "Restrictions on Government Entities Lobbying the Federal Government" (PDF). citizen.org. Public Citizen. Retrieved 13 March 2020. Lobbyists on behalf of state and local governments who lobby the federal government are subject to the registration requirements under the Lobbyist Disclosure Act. Individual states issue their own rules that often restrict using state funds for lobbying purposes.
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