May 14, 2012

One way Big Money gets its way is by covering its tracks when it influences our government. Many local and city governments, for example, have very weak lobbying laws so it’s almost impossible to know who is influencing your local council member. The city of Galveston, Texas took a stand against that last week, passing a law that would require all lobbyists working on city issues to register under a new ordinance. Under “the ordinance, which goes into effect Oct. 1, lobbyists, whether paid or unpaid, must register with the city. Lobbying includes communication in person, by phone, letter, fax, email or other electronic means, according to the ordinance.” We applaud the city for its move and hope other cities will follow suit.