KT put the newest Juan Garcia ad up a few days ago. The ad focuses on closing the revolving door in Austin.
To prevent legislators from using their final months in office to feather the bed with big lobbying contracts, most states require a two to three year wait before a departing member can register as a lobbyist. Before a member of the U.S. Congress can register as a lobbyist, they are required to wait two years. Before a Navy Admiral or a Marine General can register as a lobbyist for a defense contractor, there's a two to three year wait.
Not so in Texas.
Here in Texas, legislators step down from office in the morning, and they can be registered lobbyists that afternoon. Last week, Texans for Public Justice reported that there are now 1,629 registered lobbyists in Texas, with $348 million worth of lobbying contracts.
One person is familiar with the revolving door, Todd Hunter. Hunter went straight from the State House to the the... well... State House. First as an elected official then as a energy lobbyist.
That calls into question his motives in the final days of his final session. Who was he looking out for? Was he passing laws for future clients or current voters? Those questions aren't a big deal when the revolving door is slammed closed. When it takes 2, 4, or 6 years before a former elected official can go lobby, people know that their representative is working for them.
Todd Hunter questioned Garcia's push to clean up government, asking why "Juan Garcia is afraid of lobbyist". Garcia's response and Hunters negativity were captured on film.
Garcia continues to make good government a top priority. It is still unclear what Hunter is campaigning on.
