Now that lawmakers have convened in Austin, private citizens and PACs are no longer able to make political contributions, so the sole financial influence on lawmakers during the legislative session comes from lobbyists. In fact, in session and out, lobbying is by far the biggest source of money in Texas politics — and taxpayers are footing the bill for a lot of it. This look at the City of Houston is the first installment in our series analyzing the top taxpayer-funded entities in Texas.
Citizens For Better Government
Texas Committee
$367Cash on Hand
$3,610Total Contributions
$3,611Total Expenditures
Financial Activity
Top Contributors
Total Contributions | Name |
|---|---|
| $1,000.00 | Crown Road Partners |
| $450.00 | Linda Riddle |
| $300.00 | Henry Riddle |
| $250.00 | Jerry Miller |
| $200.00 | Eric Bruechner DVM |
| $200.00 | John Gather |
| $100.00 | David Bird |
| $100.00 | David Bird |
| $100.00 | Diane Owen |
| $100.00 | Emily Aikman |
Top Payees
Total Expenditures | Payee |
|---|---|
| $1,008.00 | East Texas Broadcasting Inc |
| $627.88 | jbs Signs |
| $511.46 | Staples Inc |
| $500.00 | US Postal Service |
| $322.50 | Mt Pleasant Tribune |
| $216.00 | Mt Pleasant Tribune |
| $200.00 | Titus Co Republican Party |
| $135.00 | Baker & Johnson pci |
| $90.00 | City of Mt Pleasant |
Related Articles
For the 2020 election cycle (2019 – 2020), more than $109 million in taxpayer dollars was being spent to lobby Austin politicians. With our Lobbying Data feature, Texans can see which organizations hired lobbyists, who they hired, and how much they spent. In addition to pulling back the curtain on lobbying — the largest source of money and influence on Texas lawmakers — we have also divided the organizations hiring lobbyists into two categories: those who are taxpayer-funded and those who are privately-funded.
**Editor’s Note: Since this article went live, the Texas House formally elected Dade Phelan as Speaker of the House.**