Heritage Action Faces Ethics Complaint Over Texas Bill Involvement
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The progressive group Progress Texas filed an ethics complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission on Friday, alleging that conservative group Heritage Action failed to register as lobbyists before expending resources and personnel to help get voter suppression bill Senate Bill 7 through the Texas Legislature. A leaked video from Mother Jones showed Heritage Action’s leadership claiming responsibility for core provisions in the legislation, but the group did not disclose their lobbying work with the state Ethics Commission before penning these portions of the bill, the complaint argues.
S.B. 7 is still in the final stages of consideration in the state Legislature. It would establish a host of new voter suppression provisions that would make every stage of voting harder in the Lone Star State, especially targeting large urban counties that tend to vote Democrat. “Not only do Texans deserve to know who is behind this type of legislation, but we also deserve competent lawmakers who prioritize bills that address the issues most important to their constituents instead of legislation that attacks our rights,” said Progress Texas in its announcement of the new complaint.