Texas House OKs ethics bill calling for ‘dark money’ disclosure

AUSTIN — The House approved an ethics bill Tuesday that would force disclosure of “dark money” and prohibit the secret recording of lawmakers at the Capitol that has rattled many lawmakers and legislative aides and watchers.

Tuesday’s three-hour debate was at times tense, as tea party members tried to remove the disclosure and taping provisions. The bill tenatively passed, 96-48.

Gov. Greg Abbott named ethics as one of his emergency items of the session, tapping two North Texas lawmakers, Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano, and Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, to lead the charge.

But House leaders called Taylor’s bill weak and revamped it to include the rules on dark money, which certain political groups use to influence campaigns without disclosing their donors.

Rep. Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, tried to get Taylor’s version — which included a measure to require lawmakers to sit out one session before becoming a lobbyist — restored. He argued that it protected “citizens from their government officials and makes our office more transparent.” The House version, he said, is designed to “protect elected officials from their voters.”

But Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, who oversaw the revisions to the ethics bill, defended the House’s version as true reform.

While the money provision has been a dividing line, the most heated disagreement was over the recording measure. In recent weeks, a group has been following lawmakers in the Capitol and elsewhere, apparently looking for examples of wrongdoing and hypocrisy.

Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Frisco, supported eliminating the provision that would require consent for such recording in the Capitol.

“Is it annoying? Yes. Is it a game of gotcha? Yes,” but that’s what legislators signed up for when they chose public office, Fallon said.

Other lawmakers argued that those recording legislators have followed female lawmakers inappropriately and have been confrontational, not adhering to standards traditional news media abide by in reporting.

“It’s a dark and evil force on us. … The worst part is, we don’t know who’s funding them,” Cook said.

Taylor has said he opposed efforts to disclose dark money. Conservative groups such as Empower Texans and the Texas Public Policy Foundation also oppose the move.

But more than 100 House members had previously signed on to an earlier failed bill to require disclosure of donors.

Meanwhile, Rep. Kenneth Sheets, R-Dallas, had his measure to prohibit elected officials convicted of crimes related to their office from earning state pensions added on to the bill.

After a final vote, likely Wednesday, the differences in the House and Senate bills will have to be ironed out in negotiations.