Lobbying is big business

Lobbying is one of the most common activities in government. Hundreds of corporations, organizations, and governmental entities hire lobbyists to persuade legislators on issues as wide-ranging as agriculture to healthcare. So far this election cycle, more than $640 million has been committed to lobbying in Texas — that’s twice as much as has been donated to campaigns and PACs. 

Who’s footing the bill?

Among those sending lobbyists to Austin are many organizations funded by taxpayers. Under the definition of tax-funded lobbying used to sort lobbying data on Transparency USA, entities that receive all or almost all of their funding from taxing authorities are considered to be taxpayer-funded. Think school districts, city councils, and those who contract exclusively or almost exclusively with the government.

For a more detailed explanation of how we classify lobbying, as well as the arguments for and against the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying, click here. Whether you support or oppose the practice, it’s important to have the facts and to hold the government accountable. 

The taxpayer-funded orgs topping the list

Here is a breakdown of the top 12 taxpayer-funded entities hiring lobbyists in Texas and the maximum amount they have committed to spend on lobbying this election cycle. As a reminder, lobbyists are allowed to report their income in ranges, rather than a specific dollar amount. To see the high and low end of the range, along with detailed transaction information, visit any of the taxpayer-funded lobbying clients’ pages at the links below.

1. Superior Healthplan Inc. —$2,849,999.76. According to their website, Superior Healthplan Inc. is a managed healthcare company which works with the State of Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to offer programs such as STAR (Medicaid), Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), CHIP Perinatal Care and STAR+PLUS and STAR Health.
2. Texas Charter Schools Association — $2,189,999.55. Thus association’s mission is to support and advocate for public charter schools, to inform the public and policymakers about the value of charter schools, and to advance policies that will enable public charter schools to serve students well.
3. Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund — $1,859,999.81. The HFRRF is the retirement system for Houston’s firefighters.
4. City of Austin — $1,749,999.81. The City of Austin is the municipal governing authority of Austin, Texas, overseen by a mayor and 10 members of the Austin City Council.
5. Texas Association of Health Plans — $1,574,999.82. According to the TAHP’s website, this organization is a statewide trade association representing health insurers, Medicaid plans, Medicare Advantage plans, and other related health care entities operating in Texas.
6. City of Houston — $1,304,999.76. The City of Houston is the municipal governing authority for Houston, Texas, overseen by a mayor and sixteen members of the Houston City Council.
7. Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority — $1,299,999.84. According to their website, the CCRMA works with numerous cities in Cameron County as well as the Texas Department of Transportation on projects related to highways, rail, air, and seaport.
8. Texas Association of School Boards Inc — $1,134,999.83. The TASB is a nonprofit statewide educational association that serves and represents local Texas school boards.
9. Managed Care of North America Inc — $1,069,999.84. According to the company’s website, MCNA is a dental benefits manager which provides services to state agencies and managed care organizations for their Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicare members.
10. Brownsville Public Utility Board — $949,999.86. The Brownsville Public Utility Board provides electrical, water and wastewater services to customers in the Brownsville area.
11. Harris County Commissioners Court — $929,999.79. The Harris County Commissioners Court is the governing body for Harris County, made up of a county judge and four members elected to represent individual precincts.
12. Texas Municipal Police Association — $919,999.89. According to the organization’s website, the TMPA is Texas’ largest law enforcement association, representing more than 30,000 local, county and state law enforcement officers.

Our database includes the full list of organizations, corporations, and entities — both taxpayer-funded and private — hiring lobbyists in Texas. Join us to get the latest insights on lobbying in Texas.