AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Early voting starts on Monday, and there are ten statewide propositions for Texans to vote on. The proposed amendments to the state constitution range from property tax exemptions to increasing cancer research bonds.
Here is a quick summary of each proposition and the possible impact.
Proposition 1 would allow a person to serve as more than one appointed or elected municipal judge, assuming the person was appointed to each of those positions.
The Texas House Research Organization argues if the proposition is passed it will allow smaller municipalities to have more qualified judges.
Representative James White introduced the proposition in the 2019 legislative session, and it is one of three propositions that did not receive any legislative opposition.
Proposition 2 would allow the Texas Water Development Board to issue bonds to developing the water supply and sewer service in economically distressed areas. The total amount cannot exceed $200 million.
Senator Eddie Lucio was the leading author of the proposal. House and Senate Democrats supported the amendment while Republicans were more split.
This proposition would allow temporary tax exemptions for areas designated as government declared disaster areas.
If Proposition 3 is approved, House Bill 492 would go into effect and set guidelines for when and how the the government can can allow exemptions.
Proposition 4 would put a ban on enacting a personal income tax, and make it harder to remove the ban in the future.
If law makers wanted to remove the ban in the future they would need a constitutional amendment, which requires two-thirds approval in each legislative chamber and voter approval.
Under Proposition 5, sales tax from sporting goods would go towards the state Parks and Wildlife Department and the state Historical Commission.
The current law allows lawmakers to use the funds for other purposes. The proposition would not allow for the decrease funding for parks, wildlife, and historical agencies to be more than 50%.
Proposition 6 would increase the maximum amount of bonds from $3 billion to $6 billion for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
$300 million is the limit for the amount of funding the CPRIT can receive in one year. Proposition 6 is another one of three propositions that did not receive any legislative opposition.
Proposition 7 doubles the amount of funding the Texas General Land Office and State Board of Education can give to the Available School Fund from $300 million to $600 million each year.
GLO was first given $300 million in 2017 to give to ASF from land related proceeds.
Proposition 8 would create the Flood Infrastructure Fund. The Texas Water Development Board could use the funds for flood drainage, mitigation, and control projects.
Senate Bill 7, which would regulate how the funds can be spent, was passed by legislature and will go into affect if the proposition is approved by voters. The amendment also received no legislative opposition.
If approved, Proposition 9 would allow legislature to exempt property taxes for precious metals held in precious metal depositories.
House Bill 2859 defines precious metals as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and rhodium that “bears a high value-to-weight ratio” and “customarily is formed into bullion or specie.”
Proposition 10 would allow law enforcement to transfer a retired service animals to a qualified caretaker with no fee.
Senate Bill 2100 requires the animal to be given to a qualified care giver or a former handler.