Lara Keel Texas Lobbyist
A recent article in the San Antonio Business Journal outlines the regulations and oversight of Texas lobbyists by the by the Texas Ethics Commission.
The rules are as follows:
- Texas lobbyists must register if they receive on thousand dollars or more in a quarter as payment for their lobbying work.
- Texas lobbyists must register if they spend more than $500 in lobbying.
The Texas Ethics Commission has now provided a searchable database of all registered lobbyists. You can find the database here. You can use it to search for lobbyists by name, or by searching for companies to see what lobbyists they employ. All lobbyists are listed with their clients and an estimated range of payment.
Who is a lobbyist? According to the TEC, a lobbyist is anyone who has direct communication with a state lawmaker or official in an attempt to influence the legislative process. Direct communication means email, letters, and phone conversations. Currently the TEC has more than 1300 registered lobbyists in our state.
We at the Texas Lobby Group support and applaud the TEC for its careful oversight. Good and honest lobbyists will abide by the rules, report their work and activity, and support a free and fair governmental process.