States move to ban utilities from using customer money for lobbying

grist.org

41 points·rntn··7 comments

It'll come up against a 1A challenge in federal court and, based on precedent, likely be ruled unconstitutional.

But if we're going down this road? Also ban subnational governments from using taxpayer money to lobby.

There's not a mid-sized city in the country that doesn't have lobbyists working to secure more state funds; there's not a large city in the country that doesn't also have federal lobbyists. All the states (and most state departments) have federal lobbyists as well.

I seem to recall that constitution is an agreement between government and citizens, aren’t utility companies private?

This feels different. As a tax payer don't you want your city to work to get more funds? That feels far more acceptable than a private entity lobbying so they can increase profits, possibly at the expense of the payer.

Where do utilities come off using my ratepayer money to subvert my ratepayer interests ?

Especially when in a monopoly provider position - so, so Soviet.

This seems like a good idea, but it’s terrible.

The truth is that state legislators are often simple-minded and generally horribly undereducated about the nature of infrastructure in their backyard.

Utilities “lobbying” is often simply defending against sweeping generalizations with real world case studies & data.

That would be a step in the right direction.

Absolute nonsense. A few polititians is not even remotely synonymous to "states". What a garbage article.

And this will never happen in our lifetimes. Only working people collectively could have the power to confront capital as such.

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