Texas on November 6th this
year.
Since it
was enacted in 1876, the Texas State Constitution has been
amended more than 400 times. In order for an amendment to
appear on the ballot, the proposal must pass by a two-thirds
vote in both the Texas House and Senate. The proposals must
receive a majority vote to be amended to the constitution.
A drawing was held recently to determine the order of the
amendments on the ballot. Below is a complete listing of the
amendments:
Proposition 1: "The constitutional amendment providing for the
continuation of the constitutional appropriation for facilities
and other capital items at Angelo State University on a change
in the governance of the university."
Proposition 2: "The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance
of $500 million in general obligation bonds to finance
educational loans to students and authorizing bond enhancement
agreements with respect to general obligation bonds issued for
that purpose."
Proposition 3: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to provide that the maximum appraised value of a
residence homestead for ad valorem taxation is limited to the
lesser of the most recent market value of the residence
homestead as determined by the appraisal entity or 110 percent,
or a greater percentage, of the appraised value of the residence
homestead for the preceding tax year."
Proposition 4: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the issuance
of up to $1 billion in bonds payable from the general revenues
of the state for maintenance, improvement, repair, and
construction projects and for the purchase of needed equipment."
Proposition 5: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to permit the voters of a municipality having a
population of less than 10,000 to authorize the governing body
of the municipality to enter into an agreement with an owner of
real property in or adjacent to an area in the municipality that
has been approved for funding under certain programs
administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture under which
the parties agree that all ad valorem taxes imposed on the
owner's property may not be increased for the first five tax
years after the tax year in which the agreement is entered
into."
Proposition 6: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation one motor vehicle
owned by an individual and used in the course of the owner's
occupation or profession and also for personal activities of the
owner."
Proposition 7: "The constitutional amendment to allow governmental
entities to sell property acquired through eminent domain back
to the previous owners at the price the entities paid to acquire
the property."
Proposition 8: "The constitutional amendment to clarify certain
provisions relating to the making of a home equity loan and use
of home equity loan proceeds."
Proposition 9: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to exempt all or part of the residence homesteads of
certain totally disabled veterans from ad valorem taxation and
authorizing a change in the manner of determining the amount of
the existing exemption from ad valorem taxation to which a
disabled veteran is entitled."
Proposition 10: "The constitutional amendment to abolish the
constitutional authority for the office of inspector of hides
and animals."
Proposition 11: "The constitutional amendment to require that a record
vote be taken by a house of the legislature on final passage of
any bill, other than certain local bills, of a resolution
proposing or ratifying a constitutional amendment, or of any
other nonceremonial resolution, and to provide for public access
on the Internet to those record votes."
Proposition 12: "The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance
of general obligation bonds by the Texas Transportation
Commission in an amount not to exceed $5 billion to provide
funding for highway improvement projects."
Proposition 13: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the denial of
bail to a person who violates certain court orders or conditions
of release in a felony or family violence case."
Proposition 14: "The constitutional amendment permitting a justice or
judge who reaches the mandatory retirement age while in office
to serve the remainder of the justice's or judge's current
term."
Proposition 15: "The constitutional amendment requiring the creation of
the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and
authorizing the issuance of up to $3 billion in bonds payable
from the general revenues of the state for research in Texas to
find the causes of and cures for cancer."
Proposition 16: "The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance
of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water
Development Board in an amount not to exceed $250 million to
provide assistance to economically distressed areas."
Proposition 15, the proposal to authorize the issuance of bonds to create
the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, is the
only proposal likely to have a publicity campaign behind it.
You can expect commercials and print ads with celebrities like
Lance Armstrong and other cancer survivors to begin soon.
