Last month, the bill attempting to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying appeared unlikely to make it out of the Texas House State Affairs Committee. The atmosphere has shifted in the last week, after so many people came to testify at a hearing for House Bill 749 that the meeting lasted until early the next morning. The sheer volume of advocacy has thrust the lobbying ban bill back into the spotlight, and we’re seeing a surge of renewed interest in the Texas lobbying conversation. 

When Texas’ last legislative session gaveled to a close in late May, conservatives from across the state were not shy about expressing their disappointment with the results. Leaders of large and powerful grassroots organizations like Julie McCarty of True Texas Project, JoAnn Fleming of Grassroots America We The People, Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans and Elizabeth Graham of Texas Right to Life described the results of the session as “purple,” “loser,” and “nothing,” making ominous, albeit veiled, threats to withhold funding. 

“Dark money” is a term used to describe political spending by groups that are not required to disclose their donors. Most often it refers to groups designated by the IRS as 501(c) organizations — businesses, issue advocacy groups, unions, civic and trade organizations (including many nonprofits) which are not allowed to directly contribute to a candidate or campaign, but are allowed to spend money to educate or advocate about issues related to politics or to provide information about where candidates stand on certain issues. (Transparency USA is a 501(c)(3) organization because we provide information and education to the public concerning the money in politics.)