PHOENIX – Back in January 2007, the Goldwater Institute issued a policy report by Benjamin Barr, constitutional policy analyst, titled, “Your Tax Dollars at Work: The implications of Taxpayer-funded Lobbying,” calling for an end to taxpayer-funded lobbying.
The Executive Summary of that report explained: “The state of Arizona is lobbying itself. Whether it is for all-day kindergarten, expansive redevelopment powers, or a host of other issues, government entities are exploring and acting on their lobbying options. The consequence: Government interests become pitted against taxpayers’ interests.”
The report calls taxpayer-funded lobbying a “harbinger of government abuse and waste,” one that forces citizens to financially support advocacy with which they may disagree and “inexorably promotes more government growth.”
Barr asserts in his report, “Scaling back the authority of government entities to lobby is mandated under a proper understanding of the Arizona Constitution and the First Amendment …
“Prohibiting government entities from lobbying reestablishes the importance of citizens’ voices and limits the threat of abuse and corruption inherent in taxpayer-funded lobbying.”
It’s been nearly 10 years since that report was issued.
However, on June 29, 2016, Gov. Doug Ducey signed an executive order banning the practice of state agencies using taxpayer funds to hire contract lobbyists.
Ducey called the expenditure of public dollars by state governmental units on professional lobbyists to lobby the Arizona State Legislature at the expense of taxpayers, professional licensee fee payer and ratepayers, “unnecessary and unjustified.”
His executive order goes on to state, “[P]rofessional lobbyists representing state governmental units often spend public dollars in efforts to expand regulatory authority of government and impose additional transaction costs for those in the regulated community.”
Ducey’s order requires the Director of the Department of Administration (Director) to direct all state procurement officers or administrators to revoke procurement authority to all state governmental units with respect to contracts for professional lobbyists or lobbying services.
It also requires the Director to terminate or direct the termination of all existing contracts between a state governmental unit and professional lobbyists or private entities that provide lobbying services for state government.
The order has a provision for limited exceptions that would require prior approval from the Director.
Michael Hunter, Goldwater’s vice president for state and fiscal affairs, issued the following statement about the executive order:
“The Goldwater Institute has long argued that government should not be using taxpayer dollars to lobby itself. We appreciate Governor Ducey’s recognition that taxpayers being forced to pay for lobbying contracts often undermine taxpayer interests and can represent bad public policy. Agencies are perfectly capable of communicating information to lawmakers. Hired-gun lobbyists can often undermine government transparency and accountability.”
