Lobbyist are a very powerful force in Texas government, mainly because they interact frequently with the governor, lawmakers and various other state officials at the very time public policy decisions are being made. With the enforcement of the Lobby Law through the Texas Ethics Commission (in Chapter 34 of title 1 of the Texas Administrative Code T.A.C. Chapter 305 of the Government Code) requires individuals, companies and groups begin to register and report the amount of money paid to lobbyist with Texas Ethics Commission and file reports (Texas Ethics Commission). Limits are placed on the amount of money companies and groups spend on lobbying in Texas. These rules are enforced under the current Ethics Commission rules and states “if a person is retained or an employee, earning more than $1000 in a calendar quarter as compensation or reimbursement to lobby they must register as a lobbyist” (Texas Ethics Commission). It is important to have these limits and to know what interest group lobbyist are supporting in place as well as the required ethics training because these lobbyist are seeking to manipulate state policy and legislation. I believe without the enforcement (there are 25 states that do not require lobby registration or reporting) the public would not be aware of how much special interest groups are spend to influence public policy. “A groups financial resources also determine its power” (Government and Politics in the Lone Star State. Pg. 101). My father (James Morrison) spend a lot of time in Austin gathering information for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality which is dealing with some water issues this upcoming legislative session. My father runs a local rural water supply company that provides quality driving water to rural people in Northern Walker County. Safe drinking water is always a top concern of his as well as what lawmakers are doing in Austin that affect the rules and guidelines he follows. We