HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2021-09RESOLUTION NO. R2021-09
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS, OPPOSING 87 - SB 234 AND
HB 749, RELATING TO THE USE BY A POLITICAL
SUBDIVISION OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR LOBBYIST
ACTIVITIES.
WHEREAS, the Texas State Legislature values the lives and welfare of its citizens, the
state's economy, and the overall quality -of -life that distinguishes Texas from all other states; and
WHEREAS, the Texas State Legislature routinely considers hundreds of bills each
session that directly affect local governments and impact all Texans; and
WHEREAS, local governmental officials are elected and held accountable by their
constituents to assure effective local governance, judicious spending of taxpayer dollars, and the
delivery services in a timely, effective manner; and
WHEREAS, Texans expect their locally elected officials to be available to them and to
not be wasting taxpayer money in Austin influencing legislation that may be detrimental to the
interests of a community or county nor spending time considering the thousands of bills and their
potential impact on the citizens; and
WHEREAS, the implied and expressed intent of SB234 and HB749 is to prohibit city and
county funds from being expended to join or support nonprofit organizations that provide many
necessary services, including, but not limited to, training, best practices, and economic
development as well as information about state governmental action and provide a means to
communicate effectively with state legislators and other state officials, thus saving citizens money
by avoiding the potential costs often associated with corporate and other special interest
legislation; and
WHEREAS, the State of Texas, the Texas Legislature, and state agencies currently and
actively employ large numbers of taxpayer funded lobbyists to help develop, analyze, influence,
and monitor the aforementioned thousands of bills and also to advocate for Texas' interests in
Washington, DC, SB234, HB749, and any like them, seek to deny local governmental agencies
the same ability while continuing taxpayer support for state agency lobbying; and
WHEREAS, local governmental expenses for both direct and indirect lobbying account
for only 10% of the total lobbying activity in Austin, with corporate and other special interest
lobbying accounting for 90%; and
WHEREAS, preventing Texas cities and counties from employing competent
representation before state and federal legislative entities deprives local governments from
presenting a unified voice on key constituent issues and saves additional funds through cost -
sharing; and
WHEREAS, false, misleading, and anti -democratic claims of misuse of taxpayer funds
are the opposite of what actually occurs as the Legislature continues to pass unfunded mandates
and other costly legislation, thereby forcing local governments to divert their resources or to raise
taxes to pay for said laws and regulations the State imposes on its citizens, thereby allowing
legislators to avoid the consequences of their actions and thereby undermining local governmental
entities; and
R2021-09 2
WHEREAS, SB234 and HB749 violate the basic American tenets of open and fair
legislative deliberation as well as representation in government while allowing corporate and other
special interests to dominate government, leaving Texans without a voice in matters that affect
their quality of life and livelihoods.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS:
Section 1. That the Mayor and City Council strongly oppose SB234 and HB749 and
any attempt to silence the voices of local governments and the citizens they directly and daily
represent.
Section 2. That all resolutions and agreements and parts of resolutions and
agreements in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of conflict only.
Section 3. That it is hereby found and determined that the meeting at which this
resolution was passed was open to the public and that advance public notice of the time, place
and purpose of said meeting was given as required by law.
Section 4. That this resolution is effective upon adoption by the City Council of the
City of Friendswood, Texas.
PASSED, APPROVED AND RESOLVED on this 5th day of A ril, 20210
ATTEST:
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