SCR 1009~No Taxpayer Money for Lobbyists

Tough road ahead for ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying. Tell Sponor Senator Linda Gray to keep up the good fight!

In an effort to end the use of taxpayer funds for lobbying, Arizona Senator Linda Gray (R-Northwest Phoenix) introduced SCR 1009, a referendum bill also known as No Taxpayer Money for Lobbyists (NTML).

If passed during the current legislative session, NTML would allow Arizona voters in November to prohibit the use of public funds for lobbying, while safeguarding the ability of elected officials, public agencies, departments, boards, commissions, and political subdivisions to provide expert testimony and information to members of the Legislature.

Although it started off the session with more than a dozen sponsors, and earned the endorsement of the state GOP at its mandatory meeting on January 26th, NTML was held in the Senate’s Government Committee this week. The difficulties faced by the bill in that committee show just how tough it will be to get the reform through the Legislature.

One of the committee members, Sen. Meg Burton Cahill (D-Tempe), expressed the view that the democratic election of local government officials confers legitimacy on all of their decisions, including the decision to give public funds to lobbyists. That is a common view down at the Legislature, although it was not the view of the framers of the US and Arizona Constitutions, who believed that government should have limited powers.

Sen. Robert Blendu (R-Litchfield Park, Goodyear) expressed worries that a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying would disrupt the information-providing function of the lobbying system. While he is correct that lobbying does facilitate the flow of information about policies, it does not follow that lobbyists should have access to public funds. Instead, elected officials and government employees should raise lobbying money the way other interest groups do—by means of private, voluntary contributions.

Sen. Jake Flake (R-Gila and Apache Counties) argued that there is no inherent big-government bias to taxpayer-funded lobbying. He is correct that we should not make blanket statements about the aims of all taxpayer-funded lobbying, but examples of big-government bias come readily to mind. In recent years, lobbyists in Arizona have used public funds to oppose popular efforts to end eminent domain abuse, reduce income and property taxes, and extend educational opportunities to children through school choice.

Sen. Flake also expressed some understandable concerns about geographical equity: the mayor of Snowflake will have more difficulty getting to legislative hearings than the mayor of Glendale. However, there is nothing in NTML that would prevent the Legislature from reimbursing city and county officials for travel expenses when they are invited to Phoenix to testify before legislative committees.

Facing opposition from the Committee’s majority—Senators Blendu, Burton Cahill, Flake, and the nearly silent Jorge Luis Garcia (D-Tucson)—Senator Gray held the bill.

From here, NTML faces a tough road. Perhaps an amended version of the bill can get out of committee and go to a vote before the full Senate. Or perhaps a House version of the bill can move forward. If the Legislature fails us, taxpayer activists will have to wait until next year to collect signatures and put a citizen initiative on the 2010 ballot.

Meanwhile, please send Senator Linda Gray an email (lgray@azleg.gov) or a phone message (602-926-3376) to thank her for her efforts to end taxpayer-funded lobbying. And please tell her to keep up the good fight!


URL for text of the January 26th state GOP resolution in favor of NTML:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/index.php?id=4794&state=az

Contact: Tom Jenney, Arizona state director, Americans for Prosperity
tjenney@afphq.org (602) 478-0146