Texas PACS: A Roundup of the Special Interests Driving Texas' Political Action Committees

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Transportation

Thirty transportation PACs moved almost $2.6 million, accounting for 5 percent of all PAC expenditures. Nine automobile and bus PACs led the way, accounting for 34 percent of all transportation spending.

The powerful Texas Automobile Dealers Association (TADA) led the transportation sector with $772,550. In the 1995 session, TADA blocked legislation that would have allowed credit unions and other enterprises to act as automobile brokers and chisel into the auto dealership monopoly on new car sales.²⁶

The remaining eight PACs in this subcategory spent less than $50,000 each, led by the only bus PAC: Greyhound Lines ($45,500). The next largest spenders were auto dealership interests, USA Cars ($20,369) and the Independent Automobile Dealers ($16,750), followed by the Texas Car and Truck Renting and Leasing Association ($10,050).

Air Transport
Six airplane PACs spent 32 percent of all transportation PAC money. The high flier among them was American Airlines ($642,115). American has invested heavily in local, state and federal politicians to further its plans for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). American vigorously fights to shield DFW from competition from Dallas’ Love Field, even as surrounding communities have battled DFW’s expansion plans. The remaining air PACs flew at much lower altitudes, led by Vought Aircraft Co. ($68,937), Continental Airlines ($58,000) and Bell Helicopter Textron ($45,550).

Railroad & Marine
The two railroad PACs that registered with the Ethics Commission spent $531,063. Burlington Northern dominated this spending with $458,333; Southern Pacific spent another $72,730. Four marine PACs, led by Hollywood Marine PAC ($83,218) spent $204,021. The other marine PACs were Kirby Corp. Inland Marine ($48,203), the West Gulf Maritime Association ($39,000) and the Houston [ship] Pilots PAC ($33,600).²⁷

Trucking
Finally, nine trucking PACs spent just $146,308. While the Texas Railroad Commission once regulated the trucking industry, federal deregulation of the industry in the early 1990s eliminated a large part of the state’s role in trucking issues. Nonetheless, the industry—led by the Texas Motor Transportation Association ($52,512)—still weighs in on taxes and Texas Department of Transportation issues. Other trucking PACs that spent more than $10,000 include: the Southwest Movers Association ($22,550), McLane Co. ($20,000), Texas Towing and Storage PAC ($14,868), Merchants, Inc. ($11,627) and Five Star Transportation’s Houston BATTLE PAC ($10,500).

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