The House Public Education Committee and the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee are examining taxpayer funded lobbying. We will have more on this committee hearing in Friday's issue. Here are some preliminary observations:

Chairman Kent Grusendorf (R-Arlington) is very concerned about the use of school money for lobbying and school finance lawsuits and wants to address this issue.
The State does not currently have a clear definition of lobbying. The Ethics Commission has stated that lobbyists who work for school districts must register. At the hearing, some lawmakers questioned whether the law contains contradictory provisions on this subject.

There are questions as to whether the existing ban on the use of state funds for lobbying can be enforced.

The committees are taking a careful look at alternatives to traditional competitive bidding (which are sometimes handled by associations of governments). They want to know how these programs work and whather taxpayers benefit.

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