Zombie bills and “gut and amend” tactics may sound like features of a DC-based version of “The Walking Dead” but they’re actual legislative maneuvers used by oil and gas lobbyists to advance the interests of their powerful clients. In Texas, a new tax break program full of loopholes has led critics to warn that it will be exploited by major fossil fuel producers.
Capital & Main contributor Elliott Woods reports that Chapter 403 is a thinly veiled replacement for a since-expired law that attracted controversy by handing out tens of billions in tax breaks to extremely profitable corporations while reducing support for state schools. The zombie law was drafted by Republican lawmakers pressured by industry lobbyists.
