(The Center Square) – Texas voters will see several proposed constitutional amendments on their ballots when they go to the polls Nov. 4.
In the regular legislative session, the Texas legislature passed joint resolutions with a two-thirds majority proposing the following constitutional amendments.
Proposition 1 (SJR 59): “The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the permanent technical institution infrastructure fund and the available workforce education fund to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System.”
The amendment, if approved by voters, would expand the size of government and constitutionally require the state to spend a dedicated amount from the general revenue fund, create or rededicate a revenue source, to permanently require that taxpayer money be spent on a technical institution infrastructure fund, according to the resolution analysis.
Proposition 2 (SJR 18): “The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust.”
The amendment would prohibit the state legislature from ever imposing a capital gains tax.
Proposition 3 (SJR 5): “The constitutional amendment requiring the denial of bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain offenses punishable as a felony.”
The amendment would authorize magistrates to deny bail to individuals accused of committing a range of felony offenses, including sex crimes, violent crimes and human trafficking. It requires a judge or magistrate to provide clear and convincing evidence that denying bail was necessary for the safety of the community, law enforcement, or the victim of the alleged offense.
Proposition 4 (HJR 7): “The constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue.”
The amendment would require the legislature to dedicate up to $1 billion of taxpayer money for a Texas Water Fund every fiscal year.
Proposition 5 (HJR 99): “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held by the owner of the property for sale at retail.”
The amendment would prohibit animal feed from being subject to property tax.
Proposition 6 (HJR 4): “The constitutional amendment prohibiting the legislature from enacting a law imposing an occupation tax on certain entities that enter into transactions conveying securities or imposing a tax on certain securities transactions.”
The amendment would prohibit the legislature from ever imposing an occupation tax on certain entities or imposing a securities transaction tax.
Proposition 7 (HJR 133): “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a veteran who died as a result of a condition or disease that is presumed under federal law to have been service-connected.”
Proposition 8 (HJR 2): “The constitutional amendment to prohibit the legislature from imposing death taxes applicable to a decedent’s property or the transfer of an estate, inheritance, legacy, succession, or gift.”
Proposition 9 (HJR 1): “The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the market value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income.”
Rather than eliminate a tax small businesses are required to pay on inventory every year, which they argue is burdensome and cumbersome, the legislature increased the exemption of what they owe to $250,000 of the market value of the property used to produce income. The amendment would make the exemption amount permanent.
Proposition 10 (SJR 84): “The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of the appraised value of an improvement to a residence homestead that is completely destroyed by a fire.”
Rather than eliminate the property tax owed on homesteads destroyed by fires that homeowners asked for, the legislature passed a bill that provides a temporary exemption for homeowners to not pay property taxes on a home that no longer exists.
Proposition 11 (SJR 85): “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled.”
The constitutional amendment would make permanent an exemption of $60,000 for the elderly and disabled from school district property taxes.
Proposition 12 (SJR 27): “The constitutional amendment regarding the membership of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the membership of the tribunal to review the commission’s recommendations, and the authority of the commission, the tribunal, and the Texas Supreme Court to more effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct.”
Proposition 13 (SJR 2): “The constitutional amendment to increase the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district from $100,000 to $140,000.”
The amendment would make permanent a homestead exemption for homeowners of $140,000 and requires the state to make up the difference of any funding deficit the district may incur as a result of the exemption increase.
Proposition 14 (SJR 3): “The constitutional amendment providing for the establishment of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund to provide money for research on and prevention and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and related disorders in this state, and transferring to that fund $3 billion from state general revenue.”
The amendment would require taxpayers to fund grants for dementia research, including an initial $3 billion allocated on Jan. 1, 2026, followed by $300 million every subsequent fiscal year with no end date.
Proposition 15 (SJR 34): “The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children.”
Proposition 16 (SJR 37): “The constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a United States citizen.”
The amendment does not change state law, the bill analysis explains. It “would merely place into the Texas Constitution the rights of parents already protected by the U.S. Constitution, as laid out in case law. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, the constitutional rights of parents are the ‘oldest of the fundamental liberty interests’ ever recognized by the court.”
TO MAKE GOVERNMENT BETTER, DOGE SHOULD LEARN FROM TEXAS
Proposition 17 (HJR 34): “The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the amount of the market value of real property located in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the installation or construction on the property of border security infrastructure and related improvements.”
The amendment would permanently exempt property taxes on private properties where border security infrastructure was installed along the Texas-Mexico border.