March 25, 2019      4:29 PM

TEC approves rule on foreign lobby disclosure

Changes were requested by Reps. Sarah Davis and Gio Capriglione, but lawmakers still need to come up with money to pay for the changes; Rep. Capriglione says “I get that it costs money…I’m doing what I can.”

Lobbyists at the Texas Capitol could soon have to start disclosing with state regulators whether they are registered to peddle influence on behalf of a foreign government. That’s after the Texas Ethics Commission voted unanimously Friday to require state-level disclosure for lobbyists with ties to foreign interests.

But before lobbyists start identifying if they are registered foreign agents under federal law, the Legislature must give the commission more money.

By David Saleh Rauf

Copyright March 25, 2019, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved