AUSTIN (KXAN) — Future meetings between Austin’s elected officials and lobbyists hoping to influence their votes could go unreported because “people do just forget,” Council Member Ryan Alter said.
“I don’t think it’s nefarious,” Alter told KXAN’s Grace Reader on “Inside Austin’s Agenda.”
Alter was one of two council members who opposed last week’s measure shifting responsibility to lobbyists to self-report communications with city officials in quarterly reports. The measure was approved and takes effect next week.
‘Inadvertent things left out’
City officials will no longer be required to publicly track and disclose meetings with lobbyists. Up until now, physical sign-in sheets were used to collect the names and dates of lobbyist meetings and who they represented…