Metamorphosis:

April 11, 2007

Eight More Lawmakers
Morph Into Lobbyists

Since the Texas Legislature’s 2005 regular session eight lawmakers have shed their public-servant shells to embrace their inner lobbyist. This newest crop of revolving-door lobbyists is billing 71 clients a total of up to $2.2 million this year.

Leading the class of 2007 are former Reps. Ray Allen, Todd Baxter and Vilma Luna—the first 2005-session lawmakers to come out of the closet. All three of these lawmakers resigned from the House between November 2005 and July 2006. The other top-billing new revolvers—former Reps. Carter Casteel and Toby Goodman—entered the lobby after voters retired them in 2006.

As a group the new revolver class does a good job illustrating the public’s concerns about how much independence lawmakers sacrifice when they consider future careers in the lobby.

Lawmakers considering future lobby careers must think twice before opposing Texas’ two largest lobby clients: AT&T and TXU. AT&T already has former Reps. Ray Allen and Vilma Luna on its payroll, while former Reps. Toby Goodman and Peggy Hamric now lobby for TXU.

The Lege’s Latest Crop of Revolving-Door Lobbyists

 Revolver (Party)
 House
 District
 Min. Value
 of Contracts
 Max. Value
 of Contracts
 No. of
Clients
 Ray Allen (R)
106
$395,000 
$835,000 
16 
 Todd Baxter (R)
48
$225,000 
$350,000 
 Vilma Luna (D)
33
$20,000 
$320,000 
31 
 Toby Goodman (R)
93
$110,000  
$245,000 
 Carter Casteel (R)
73
$95,000 
$200,000 
 Suzanna Hupp (R)
54
$55,000  
$145,000  
 Peggy Hamric (R)
126
$0 
$40,000 
 Joe Nixon (R)
133
$10 
$25,000 
 
TOTALS:
$900,010 
$2,160,000 
71 

The revolving door also makes citizens wonder when a lawmaker stops serving the public and starts serving special interests. Toby Goodman, the 2005 vice chair of the House Juvenile Justice Committee, now lobbies for the Association of Independent Child Welfare Administrators and the Juvenile Justice Association.

Carter Casteel, a recent member of the House County Affairs Committee, now lobbies for the Texas Association of Counties. Suzanna Hupp, who chaired the Human Services Committee and sat on the Law Enforcement Committee, lobbies for Disability Services of the Southwest and Texans for Public Safety Solutions.

One-time House Corrections Committee Chair Ray Allen now lobbies for the industry he once oversaw. Allen counts private jailer Geo Group (formerly Wackenhut Corrections) among his top clients. He also lobbies for corrections contractors Bottom Line Utility Solutions and Securus Technologies.

Former Rep. Todd Baxter became the top lobbyist for the Texas Cable and Telecommunications Association in 2005 — just months after he promoted legislation favorable to that industry.

Vilma Luna parlayed her position as vice chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee into a job representing 31 clients at lobby powerhouse HillCo Partners. Fellow former Appropriations Committee member Peggy Harmric has agreed to lobby for two tobacco companies.

Joe Nixon, who championed limits on lawsuits as chair of the House Civil Practices Committee, now lobbies for a major beneficiary of such limits: the building branch of the Associated General Contractors.

Nixon’s position on civil claims famously fluctuated depending on whether he was acting in an official or personal capacity. At a time in 2003 when his legislative website ostracized “frivolous” mold claims, Rep. Nixon obtained a $300,000 award from Farmers Insurance to settle mold-remediation claims that the lawmaker filed on his own home. The record showed that when Farmers generously settled this claim it realized that Nixon had a second home—in the Texas House.

Nixon and his seven colleagues never really left the House. They’re still living in—and off—its imposing lobby. ■

 

Lobby Contracts for the Revolving-Door Lobbyists

Ray Allen’s 2007 Lobby Contracts
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max. Value
of Contracts
 AT&T
$50,000 
$100,000 
 GEO Group, Inc.
$50,000 
$100,000 
 JLL, LLC
$50,000 
$100,000 
 Public Strategies, Inc.
$50,000 
$100,000 
 TX Conf. of Urban Counties
$50,000 
$100,000 
 Penske Truck Leasing Co.
$25,000 
$50,000 
 Satellite Tracking of People, LLC
$25,000 
$50,000 
 Vanguard Electronics, LLC
$25,000 
$50,000 
 Bottom Line Utility Solutions
$10,000 
$25,000 
 City of Sunset Valley
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Game Warden Peace Ofcr Assn.
$10,000 
$25,000 
 SEG Strategic Alliances
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Texas Bicycle Coalition
$10,000 
$25,000 
 TX Mining & Reclamation Assn.
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Solutions Group, Inc.
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Securus Technologies
$0 
$10,000 
 TOTALS:
$395,000 
$835,000 

 

Todd Baxter’s 2007 Lobby Contracts
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max. Value
of Contracts
 TX Cable & Telecom. Assn
$150,000 
$200,000 
 Alliance of Retail Markets
$50,000 
$100,000 
 Lost Creek Mun’l Utility Dist.
$25,000 
$50,000 
 TOTALS:
$225,000 
$350,000 

 

Vilma Luna’s 2007 Lobby Contracts
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max. Value
of Contracts
 Alamo Community College Dist.
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Driscoll Children’s Hospital
$10,000 
$25,000 
 A-ABC Services, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 Airtron, LP
$0 
$10,000 
 Amgen, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 AT&T
$0 
$10,000 
 City of South Padre Island
$0 
$10,000 
 CPL Retail Energy, LP
$0 
$10,000 
 Direct Energy, LP
$0 
$10,000 
 Dutko Worldwide, LLC
$0 
$10,000 
 El Paso Water Utilities
$0 
$10,000 
 First Advantage
$0 
$10,000 
 Freighliner, LLC
$0 
$10,000 
 HEB Grocery Co.
$0 
$10,000 
 Hallmark Air Conditioning, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 K&N Plumbing Heating & AC
$0 
$10,000 
 MedImmune, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 Molina Healthcare, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 Psychiatric Solutions, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 SavaSenior Care Admin. Services
$0 
$10,000 
 S. Padre Isle. Econ. Dev. Corp.
$0 
$10,000 
 Sterling Air Conditioning
$0 
$10,000 
 Tarrant County. Hospital District
$0 
$10,000 
 Tenet Healthcare Corp.
$0 
$10,000 
 TX Assoc. of Property Tax Prof.
$0 
$10,000 
 Texas Motion Picture Alliance
$0 
$10,000 
 Texas Stadium Corp.
$0 
$10,000 
 WTU Retail Energy, LP
$0 
$10,000 
 Wyeth
$0 
$10,000 
 TX Assoc. of Broadcasters
$0 
$0 
 TX Daily Newspaper Assoc.
$0 
$0 
 TOTALS:
$20,000 
$320,000 

 

Toby Goodman’s 2007 Lobby Contracts
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max. Value
of Contracts
 TX Assn. Ind’t Child Welfare Admins
$50,000 
$100,000 
 Juvenile Justice Assn of TX
$25,000 
$50,000 
 TXU Corp.
$25,000 
$50,000 
 TX Assn. Psychological Associates
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Steven Sinkin
$0 
$10,000 
 Harry Tindall
$0 
$10,000 
 TOTALS:
$110,000 
$245,000 

 

Carter Casteel’s 2007 Lobby Contracts
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max Value
of Contracts
 TX Assoc. of School Boards
$50,000 
$100,000 
 TX Assoc. of Counties
$25,000 
$50,000 
 TX Civil Justice League
$10,000 
$25,000 
 New Braunfels Utilities
$10,000 
$25,000 
 TOTALS:
$95,000 
$200,000 

 

Suzanna Hupp’s 2007 Lobby Contracts
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max. Value
of Contracts
 Barrett Burke Wilson Castle…
$25,000 
$50,000 
 American Pharmacies
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Bill Siebert
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Texans for Public Safety Solutions
$10,000 
$25,000 
 Disability Services of the SW
$0 
$10,000 
 TX Massage School Owners Assn.
$0 
$10,000 
 TOTALS:
$55,000 
$145,000 

 

Peggy Hamric’s 2007 Lobby Contracts
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max. Value
of Contracts
 Chiropractic Strategies Group, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 [RJ] Reynolds American, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 Swisher International, Inc.
$0 
$10,000 
 TXU Corp.
$0 
$10,000 
 TOTALS:
$0 
$40,000 

 

Joe Nixon’s 2007 Lobby Contract
 Client
Min. Value
of Contracts
Max. Value
of Contracts
 Assoc. Gen’l Contractors
$10,000 
$25,000