Venable, Peggy

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">reagan admin</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AFP</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="69" data-ved="0ahUKEwje-5euwInVAhXqxVQKHb9iB0YQFQhFKAcwBw"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2015/04/09/local-governments-schools-ethics-crosshairs/" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Local Government, School Lobbying in Ethics Crosshairs | The Texas ...</font></a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f kv SWb" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><cite class="Rm" style="font-style: normal;">https://www.texastribune.org/2015/04/09/local-governments-schools-ethics-crosshairs/</cite></font><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a class="Fmb ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=josh+venable+lobby+education+conservative+FEE&oq=josh+venable+lobby+education+conservative+FEE&aqs=chrome..69i57.12889j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b7" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwje-5euwInVAhXqxVQKHb9iB0YQ7B0IRzAH" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; user-select: none; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; filter: none; width: 13px; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><span class="mn-dwn-arw" style="border-color: rgb(0, 102, 33) transparent; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px 4px 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin-left: 3px; top: 7.5px; margin-top: -4px; position: absolute; left: 0px;" /></a></font><div class="action-menu-panel ab_dropdown" role="menu" tabindex="-1" jsaction="keydown:m.hdke;mouseover:m.hdhne;mouseout:m.hdhue" data-ved="0ahUKEwje-5euwInVAhXqxVQKHb9iB0YQqR8ISDAH" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; top: 12px; z-index: 3; transition: opacity 0.218s; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 2px 4px; left: 0px; visibility: hidden;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a class="fl" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GsGXMv8lmhUJ:https://www.texastribune.org/2015/04/09/local-governments-schools-ethics-crosshairs/+&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></font></li></ol></div></div></div><span class="st" style="line-height: 1.4; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="f">Apr 9, 2015 - </span>Local Government, School <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lobbying</span> in Ethics Crosshairs ... <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peggy Venable</span>, Texas director of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, ...</font></span></div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><span class="st" style="line-height: 1.4; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><span class="st" style="line-height: 1.4; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ocal government officials on Thursday unleashed a torrent of criticism against a pair of bills that would restrict how they can interact with members of the Texas Legislature.</font></div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">The legislation, sponsored by freshman Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, is designed to bar school districts and local government entities from using tax dollars to hire lobbyists or pay associations that lobby for them in Austin, such as the Texas Association of Counties or the Texas Association of School Boards. Some last-minute tweaks would weaken the outright prohibition in some circumstances. </div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">Broadly speaking, though, Shaheen said local elected officials should represent their interests personally in Austin, not send lobbyists or hire third-party groups to do it for them. </div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">“This creates a situation where you have local governments that in some circumstances could be viewed as almost overpowering the voters, if you will, when it comes to representation in the Capitol,” Shaheen said. </div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">But Patti Jones, a Republican county commissioner from Lubbock, said county elected officials have full-time jobs back home and rely heavily on associations with lobbyists in Austin to watch out for their interests.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">She also said that the same state officials who complain about federal government intrusion into state affairs don’t hesitate to impose their will on local government. </div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">“We’re the closest to the people,” Jones said. “We feel like that we don’t need the state of Texas telling us how to run the local government any more than they feel like the federal government ought to tell them how to run Texas.” </div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley echoed those sentiments, saying that state government treats local government like the “bad guy” instead of as a partner in solving issues that affect Texas taxpayers.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">“It seems like over the last decade there are several who would want you to assume that anytime local government does anything it’s against the citizens and against the taxpayers who elect us,” Whitley said. “On a four year basis they get a chance to turn me out.”</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">The county elected officials were talking about Shaheen’s House Bill 1257, which impacts local governmental entities such as cities and counties. Another bill, HB 3219, would bar school districts from hiring lobbyists or contracting with associations for that purpose.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">Peggy Venable, Texas director of the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, said most taxpayers don’t want their school tax money going to lobbyists. She said that “simply represents more education dollars that are not being spent on instruction and in the classroom.” </div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">A couple of school board members, though, said they need lobbyists, or the associations that hire them, to keep up with the chaotic developments during a 140-day legislative session, when thousands of proposals impacting school districts are contemplated. </div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">“Trustees are unpaid volunteers in their communities and have duties not only in their jobs, but with their family and civic lives,” said Beth Walterscheidt, a school board member from Elgin. “It is not practical to expect them to track education legislation, to visit legislators’ offices, nor attend the numerous committee hearings throughout the legislative session.”</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">After the public hearing on the bills in a House committee Thursday, Shaheen said the restriction on school district lobbying has the best chance of surviving the opposition because it has the overt blessing of Gov. Greg Abbott, who made it a big campaign issue.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">“With the governor’s support and his emphasis on ethics, I absolutely believe there’s a shot,” he said. “We will be dedicating a lot of our time and resources towards both bills, but clearly with the governor’s focus on ethics, I think the ISD bill will have a more prominent chance of moving forward.”</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">As for the one zeroing in on other local government entities, Shaheen said, “I’m on my own with this one.”</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">The bills were part of a slew of ethics legislation that came before the House Committee on General Investigating and Ethics. Abbott has raised the profile of ethics reform by declaring the issue a legislative “emergency” and asking lawmakers to dedicate the 2015 session to the topic.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">A bill by Rep. Sarah Davis, R-Houston, would increase transparency in local government procurement. Amid scandals in state contracting and with billions of dollars trickling down to local government for water, transportation and other projects, she said it’s high time the Legislature update rules regarding local contracting.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">“Due to the ever increasing amount of state dollars that the Legislature continues to send into local procurement opportunities, it’s imperative that we strengthen the standards in which the local government decisions or disclosures are held in order to provide an increased level of transparency to the public,” Davis said.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">Her bill, HB 23, would require enhanced disclosure for local government employees who get wined and dined by contractors and for the first time extend disclosure requirements to close family members.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">All of the ethics proposals were left pending in the committee.</div><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;">
</div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="g" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 26px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div data-hveid="75" data-ved="0ahUKEwje-5euwInVAhXqxVQKHb9iB0YQFQhLKAgwCA"><div class="rc" style="position: relative;"><h3 class="r" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.thehuttonews.com/news/article_de1c506e-bb97-52e4-a8f2-74de85fc9f7d.html" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Group sues county over lobbying efforts - The Hutto News: News</font></a></h3><div class="s" style="max-width: 48em; line-height: 18px;"><div class="f kv _SWb" style="height: 18px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><cite class="Rm" style="font-style: normal;">www.thehuttonews.com/news/article_de1c506e-bb97-52e4-a8f2-74de85fc9f7d.html</cite></font><div class="action-menu ab_ctl" style="display: inline; position: relative; margin: 1px 3px 0px; user-select: none; vertical-align: middle;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a class="_Fmb ab_button" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=josh+venable+lobby+education+conservative+FEE&oq=josh+venable+lobby+education+conservative+FEE&aqs=chrome..69i57.12889j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#" id="am-b8" aria-label="Result details" aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="true" role="button" jsaction="m.tdd;keydown:m.hbke;keypress:m.mskpe" data-ved="0ahUKEwje-5euwInVAhXqxVQKHb9iB0YQ7B0ITTAI" style="border-radius: 0px; cursor: default; font-weight: bold; height: 12px; line-height: 27px; margin: 1px 0px 2px; min-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; transition: none; user-select: none; background-image: none; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px 0px; filter: none; width: 13px; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block;"><span class="mn-dwn-arw" style="border-color: rgb(0, 102, 33) transparent; border-style: solid; border-width: 5px 4px 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px; margin-left: 3px; top: 7.5px; margin-top: -4px; position: absolute; left: 0px;" /></a></font><div class="action-menu-panel ab_dropdown" role="menu" tabindex="-1" jsaction="keydown:m.hdke;mouseover:m.hdhne;mouseout:m.hdhue" data-ved="0ahUKEwje-5euwInVAhXqxVQKHb9iB0YQqR8ITjAI" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; top: 12px; z-index: 3; transition: opacity 0.218s; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 2px 4px; left: 0px; visibility: hidden;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><ol style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><li class="action-menu-item ab_dropdownitem" role="menuitem" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; list-style: none; user-select: none; cursor: pointer;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a class="fl" href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XHoEpjOiPN4J:www.thehuttonews.com/news/article_de1c506e-bb97-52e4-a8f2-74de85fc9f7d.html+&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" style="text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer; display: block; padding: 7px 18px; outline: 0px;" /></font></li></ol></div></div></div><span class="st" style="line-height: 1.4; word-wrap: break-word;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="f">Jun 7, 2005 - </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Peggy Venable</span>, the Texas director of Americans for Prosperity (AFP), ... counties that spend taxpayer money for <span style="font-weight: bold;">lobbying</span> to stop the practice.".</font></span></div></div></div></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p><p><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">School indoctrination?</font></strong></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Beck was one of the first commentators to<b> attack Obama’s plan to give a back-to-school speech to students.</b> The event was almost tailor-made for Beck’s road-to-tyranny hysterics.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>Sept. 2:</strong> Beck gives the story of the president’s back-to-school speech some of its first national media attention. Says Beck, “Isn’t that great? The teachers have a little plan on what they can talk about. How much do you love the president? How can you help the president accomplish his goals? This is fantastic. It doesn��t sound like propaganda to me at all.” On the radio, Beck called the speech “indoctrination,” and said, “you have a system that is capturing your kids.</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>Sept. 3:</strong> In an opinion piece for Fox News, former Reagan official Peggy Venable writes, When recruits are children, doesn’t that constitute indoctrination, even brainwashing?”</font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">property rights as scam (// wise use?)</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Americans for Prosperity opposed a proposed Texas smoking ban in 2005</b>. According to the Fort Worth <i>Star-Telegram</i>, “A proposed statewide smoking ban appears all but dead, supporters acknowledged Monday as they waged a frantic battle to bring the bill up for a vote in the Senate. ‘I think the bill is dead,’ said <a title="Peggy Venable" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable">Peggy Venable</a>, Texas director of Americans for Prosperity, which opposed the legislation, arguing that it is an intrusion on private-property rights." The strategy of portraying <a class="external text" title="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Smoking_as_a_Property_Right" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Smoking_as_a_Property_Right">smoking as a "property right"</a> can be traced to <a class="mw-redirect" title="Philip Morris" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Philip_Morris">Philip Morris</a> which, in the mid-1990s, introduced bills in state legislatures nominally to protect property rights as a means of fighting smoking bans.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">pro oil monkey wrenching am: = AFP</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://monkeywrenchingamerica.com/?p=222</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">hard to tell when at interior dept; no connection to norton?</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Peggy Venable</b> is the State Director of the Texas chapter of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity">Americans for Prosperity</a>, a free market advocacy group opposing proposals by U.S. President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a> to reform heath care system and institute a cap and trade system to address global warming.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#cite_note-0">[1]</a></sup> In 2007 she was paid over $72,000.<sup id="cite_ref-2007IRS_1-0" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#cite_note-2007IRS-1">[2]</a></sup></font></p>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></h2>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#Articles_and_resources"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Articles and resources</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#Related_SourceWatch_articles"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Related SourceWatch articles</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#External_resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">External resources</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Articles_and_resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Articles and resources</font></span></h2>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Related_SourceWatch_articles"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Related SourceWatch articles</font></span></h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity-National_and_State_staff" title="Americans for Prosperity - National and State staff"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Americans for Prosperity - National and State staff</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_a_Sound_Economy" title="Citizens for a Sound Economy"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Citizens for a Sound Economy</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Charles_G._Koch_Charitable_Foundation" title="Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation" class="mw-redirect"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation</font></a></li>

</ul>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">References</font></span></h3>

<li id="cite_note-0"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#cite_ref-0">↑</a> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/about/staff">"Staff"</a> Americans for Prosperity website, accessed September 2009.</span></font></li>

<li id="cite_note-2007IRS-1"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Peggy_Venable#cite_ref-2007IRS_1-0">↑</a> <span class="reference-text">Americans for Prosperity Foundation, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/521/527/2007-521527294-043fa918-9.pdf">2007 IRS Return</a>, Guidestar, August 2008, page 1.</span></font></li>

</ol>

</div>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="External_resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">External resources</font></span></h3>

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<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peggy Venable is Texas Director for Americans for Prosperity, the premier grassroots organization in the country.  Americans for Prosperity (AFP) has over 2.3 million activists committed to educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing those citizens as advocates in the public policy process</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peggy has worked in public policy and grassroots campaigns — in government, the political arena and the private sector — for over 30 years.  In 2010, Peggy was named to the University Star Hall of Fame at Texas State University and the national magazine Campaigns and Elections named Venable as one of the top 25 Texas “influencers”.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A native Texan, Peggy spent 15 years in Washington, D.C., working for three Administrations.  During that time, she worked on public policy issues in the areas of education, natural resources, energy and transportation.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peggy was White House Liaison for the US Department of the Interior and the Department of Education.  She was at the<b> Department of Education when the idea for “A Nation at Risk” </b>was conceived, which was our country’s first “wakeup call” that our education system was falling behind.  At the US Department of Interior, she directed the “Take Pride in America” grassroots campaign which encompassed eight federal agencies.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peggy has served as senior staff at the <b>Republican National Committee </b>and was Director of the Republican National Convention in 1984.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Americans for Prosperity-Texas has over 120,000 activists who support free market public policies.  She has served as a taxpayer advocate in Texas for 20 years.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peggy hosts a weekly TV show THE BEAUTY OF POLITICS on Channel Austin, has guest hosted for syndicated talk show hosts around the Texas, appears as a guest on radio and TV, and has written over 100 pieces that have appeared in leading Texas newspapers, and speaks to groups around the state on tax, budget and regulator issues.  Her opinion pieces have appeared in the <b>Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Houston Chronicle, the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Morning News, the Austin American Statesman, Budget and Tax News, Heritage Insider, </b>and numerous other publications.  She has won numerous public affairs and journalism awards</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">She is mother to a 24 year-old daughter who has worked in Washington, D.C., graduated Summa Cum Laude and was editor of her college newspaper, The University Star at Texas State University in San Marcos.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Peggy is on the board of the Texas Center for Education Research as well as Austin CEO Foundation, a board member of the Reagan Conservative Society and is past President of the Texas Women’s Alliance as well as a past President of the Texas State University Foundation Board.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://americansforprosperity.org/012510-afp-texas-state-director-peggy-venable" class="external external_icon" target="blank">Peggy Venable</a>, AFP's State Director for Texas, is less restrained. In an opinion piece titled <a href="http://www.lonestarreport.org/CurrentNewsletter/FeaturedArticles/tabid/85/ctl/Detail/mid/462/xmid/320/xmfid/1/Default.aspx" class="external external_icon" target="blank">The Feds are Messing with Texas</a> in <em>The Lone Star Report</em> (29 January 2009)<em>,</em> she says: "<em>The scientific establishment has dropped the ball. <strong>Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant. On the contrary it makes crops and forests grow faster. We exhale carbon dioxide</strong></em>." She goes on to discuss the science-based finding by the EPA that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare (its "endangerment" finding). Specifically, she praised a response to EPA's endangerment finding that was being contemplated by the state of Texas and suggested by an AFP ally "who proposes attacking the EPA as a purveyor of bad science under federal statutes that prohibit junk science by agencies."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When the State of Texas announced a year later that it was taking legal action against EPA over the endangerment finding, <a href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/021610-texas-taking-epa-court-over-global-warming-regulations" class="external external_icon" target="blank">Venable wrote</a> "Hats off to Gov. Rick Perry" along with the state attorney general and the agriculture commissioner. According to a press release from the Texas Governor's Office <a href="http://www.americansforprosperity.org/021610-texas-taking-epa-court-over-global-warming-regulations" class="external external_icon" target="blank">posted on the AFP Texas site</a>:</font></p>

<p><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“With billions of dollars at stake, EPA outsourced the scientific basis for its greenhouse gas regulation to a scandal-plagued international organization that cannot be considered objective or trustworthy,' Attorney General Abbott said. Prominent climate scientists associated with the IPCC were engaged in an ongoing, orchestrated effort to violate freedom of information laws, exclude scientific research, and manipulate temperature data. In light of the parade of controversies and improper conduct that has been uncovered, we know that the IPCC cannot be relied upon for objective, unbiased science – so EPA should not rely upon it to reach a decision that will hurt small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and the larger Texas economy.'”</font></em></p>

</blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On 15 April 2009, AFP joined with other conservative groups in a <a href="http://cei.org/cletters/2009/04/15/free-market-coalition-letter-epa-administrator-lisa-jackson-epa%E2%80%99s-endangerment-f" class="external external_icon" target="_blank">letter challenging the EPA's endangerment finding</a>, claiming:</font></p>

<p><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Significant uncertainty persists with regard to climate sensitivity—the core scientific issue. Despite the ongoing increase in air’s CO2 content, various measures of public health and welfare—life-expectancy, heat-related mortality, weather-related mortality, air quality, agricultural productivity—continue to improve. <strong>Endangerment of public health and welfare is not `reasonably anticipated.'"</strong></font></em>

</blockquote>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite decades of research and thousands of peer-reviewed publications to the contrary, AFP rigidly adheres to the denialist arguments that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities pose no significant danger to Americans -- or the rest of the planet.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Alongside its dismissive position on the science, AFP mischaracterizes the economics of action on climate change. The largest economic consequences of unrestrained growth in emissions are related to the impacts of climate change, the costs of which are growing and will be catastrophic for the U.S. and world economies later in the century if emissions are not dramatically reduced. AFP ignores those costs. It focuses instead exclusively on the costs of reducing emissions, which are likely to be far less over time than the costly consequences of inaction. Furthermore, AFP exaggerates the costs of reducing emissions, cherry-picking analyses that suggest the largest negative economic consequences.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Finally, AFP argues that other major emitting countries will do little or nothing to effectively reduce emissions. This argument contradicts evidence that governments of other countries are growing increasingly concerned about the economic, social and political disruption that will occur as climate rapidly changes. They in fact are taking steps to prepare for the impacts of climate change and to curb emissions, and in many instances are well ahead of the U.S. on the issue.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">With messaging based on such distortions of both the science and economics of climate change, AFP is engaged in a broad disinformation campaign including:</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">apparently no connection?  old tobacco co?</font></p>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Venable</b> LLP is a Washington D.C. law firm that describes itself as having lawyers "practicing in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property and government affairs." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.venable.com/about.cfm">[1]</a></font></p>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></h2>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Venable#Venable.27s_Lobbying"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Venable's Lobbying</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Venable#Working_for_the_Philippine_Government"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Working for the Philippine Government</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Venable#Clients"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Clients</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Venable#Contact_Details"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Contact Details</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Venable#SourceWatch_Resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">SourceWatch Resources</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Venable#External_links"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Venable.27s_Lobbying"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Venable's Lobbying</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On its website Venable <b>boasts that members of its "legislative group have served in Congress, been appointed to serve as officials in federal departments and/or agencies, worked as congressional staff members, or campaigned on behalf of political candidates.</b> Their background and experience are an invaluable resource to clients, who seek to better understand and deal with the federal bureaucracy and Capitol Hill."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It states that it's staff can help clients with "every aspect of the legislative process, including preparing and guiding legislation; drafting committee report language; preparing witnesses for Congressional hearings; and testifying before Congressional Committees on behalf of our clients. In addition, our group offers counsel in administrative and legislative hearings; rulemaking and regulatory proceedings; and political, election and campaign law."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It also boasts that can help ensure funding for clients pet projects as its staff "bring strong relationships with members of the Appropriations Committees and the relevant authorizers, key members of Congress, and congressional staff. These relationships combined with extensive experience enable our attorneys to identify applicable funds and garner support to appropriate those funds."</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Some of its campaigns, Venable's states, include:</font></p>

<ul>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Represented a coalition of <b>real estate</b> groups in a successful effort to win passage of class action reform legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Blocked adverse action from being taken against a U.S. subsidiary of a foreign company that provides services to the U.S. military.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Secured Senate passage of legislation to repeal restrictions on public utilities. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.venable.com/practice.cfm?action=view&practice_id=206">[2]</a></font></li>

</ul>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Working_for_the_Philippine_Government"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Working for the Philippine Government</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a report for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Malou Mangahas revealed that in late July 2005, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo entered into a $75,000 per month contract for lobbying services with Venable, a Washington D.C. law firm. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.pcij.org/stories/2005/chacha.html">[3]</a></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The contract (see link below) specifies that Venable's work will include "securing grants and congressional earmarks for Charter change." Mangahas notes that Venable will also lobby for "Philippines re-inclusion in the credit facilities of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, secure a Philippine credit ratings upgrade in the US Eximbank, 'create a capability enhancement program for the Armed Forces' and acquire up to $800 million in credit under the U.S. Defense Loan Guarantee program, and 'achieve a similar upgrade program' for the Philippine National Police." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.pcij.org/stories/2005/chacha.html">[4]</a></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The chairman of the Philippine Senate committee on ways and means, Senator Ralph Recto, defended the contract. "Lobbying is a necessity, not a luxury," he told the <i>Manila Standard Today</i>.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news07_sept15_2005">[5]</a></font></p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Clients"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Clients</font></span></h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republic_of_the_Philippines" title="Republic of the Philippines"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Republic of the Philippines</font></a></li>

</ul>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Contact_Details"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contact Details</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Web: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.venable.com">http://www.venable.com</a></font></p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="SourceWatch_Resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SourceWatch Resources</font></span></h2>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">External links</font></span></h2>

<ul>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/e/e3/Venable.pdf">Agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and Venable LLP</a>", July 25, 2005. (Download 350k pdf file)</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Malou Mangahas, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pcij.org/stories/2005/chacha.html">Despite Hard Times, GMA Hires Pricy Foreign Consultants for Charter Change</a>", Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, September 13, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rey E. Requejo, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news07_sept15_2005">Recto says nothing wrong with foreign lobbying</a>", <i>Manila Standard Today</i>, September 15, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">IBON, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ibon.org/read.php?newsid=147">Lobby firm further exposes U.S. hand in Cha-cha</a>", Media Release, September 15, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Philip C. Tubeza, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=50284">Arroyo administration spent P100M for US lobbyists</a>", <i>INQ7</i>, September 15, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Christine Avendano and TJ Burgonio, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=50644">Senate set to probe Gonzales</a>", <i>INQ7</i>, September 19, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Max V. De Leon, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/sept/19/yehey/top_stories/20050919top3.html">Senators apply the heat on Gonzales</a>", <i>Manila Times</i>, September 19, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2005/09/19/news/us.lobby.firm.deal.called.off.html">US lobby firm deal called off</a>", <i>Sun Star</i>, September 19, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Paolo Romero, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200509190401.htm">GMA cancels Venable deal</a>", <i>Philippine Star</i>, September 19, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=16674">Venable heat too much for Palace to handle</a>", ABS CBN News, September 18, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=16698">Zamora bares 10 more 'Venable-like' deals</a>", <i>ABS CBN News</i>, September 19, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Max V. De Leon and Maricel V. Cruz, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/sept/20/yehey/top_stories/20050920top2.html">Palace on Venable: It’s closed, let’s move on</a>", <i>Manila Times</i>, September 20, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Philip C. Tubeza, TJ Burgonio, Christine O. Avendaño, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=50721">Lawmakers see venality in Venable lobby deal</a>", <i>INQ7</i>, September 20, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Paolo Romero, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200509210401.htm">DOJ: Nothing wrong with lobby contracts</a>", <i>Philippine Star</i>, September 21, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Patricia Esteves and Anthony Vargas, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/sept/21/yehey/top_stories/20050921top4.html">Venable lethal to Cha-cha –Nene</a>", <i>Manila Times</i>, September 21, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sherwin C. Olaes, Jun P. Yap, Mel Cabigting and Mario J. Mallari, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20050921.hed04.html">DoJ chief: Arroyo lobby contracts part of foreign policy</a>", <i>Daily Tribune</i>, September 21, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">K.P. Nayar, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051027/asp/nation/story_5403902.asp">Outsource helps US lobbyist land India job</a>", <i>The Telegraph</i> (Calcutta), October 26, 2005.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jim Snyder, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/013107_newfirm.html">3 Venable lobbyists leave to start new firm</a> ," <i>The Hill</i>, January 31, 2007.</font></li>

</ul>

</div>

<div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>:

</font><ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Lobbying" title="Category:Lobbying"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Lobbying</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:International" title="Category:International"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">International</font></a></li>

</ul>

</div>