November Constitutional Amendment Recommendations

Proposition 1 (HJR 126): Protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management.

FOR: Texas is losing farmland due to large cities growing up all around the farms. The cities are applying silly city regulations that shouldn’t apply to a farm (example: fining a farmer for having grass too tall when they are growing corn).

Proposition 2  (SJR 64): Authorizing a local option exemption from ad valorem taxation by a county or municipality of all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate a child-care facility.

AGAINST: This would carve out a special group of people for tax exemptions which would cause more tax burdens on everyone else. Everyone should have an interest in lowering taxes for all.

Proposition 3 (HJR 132): Prohibiting the imposition of an individual wealth or net worth tax, including a tax on the difference between the assets and liabilities of an individual or family.
(This is a proactive amendment that will help prevent a wealth tax in the future.)

FOR: We are already taxed too much. Your assets are yours. Period.

Proposition 4 (HJR 2 from the second special session): Authorizing the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts.

FOR: While inflation and appraisal increases will cause this to be irrelevant in the future, it’s better than nothing.

Proposition 5 (HJR 3): Relating to the Texas University Fund, which provides funding to certain institutions of higher education to achieve national prominence as major research universities and drive the state economy.

AGAINST: This would create a slush fund that lacks transparency and would add more governmental control over education.

Proposition 6 (SJR 75): Creating the Texas water fund to assist in financing water projects in this state.

NEUTRAL: Water is extremely important but a fund without transparency is concerning.

Proposition 7 (SJR 93): Providing for the creation of the Texas energy fund to support the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric generating facilities.

AGAINST: This would create another slush fund that lacks transparency and raise the tax burden on Texans.

Proposition 8 (HJR 125): Creating the broadband infrastructure fund to expand high-speed broadband access and assist in the financing of connectivity projects.

AGAINST: The private market can fill this need without the government getting involved (Starlink for example).

Proposition 9 (HJR 2 from the regular session): Authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

NEUTRAL: We would prefer it if this would have adjusted the teacher retirement system that is long term and possibly moved to a phase out program from a govt pension to a 401K. However, unlike social security, the current teacher retirement system does not have an increase for cost of living built in, and we understand that everything is more expensive now than it was in 2005, which was the last cost of living adjustment for retired teachers.

Proposition 10 (SJR 87): Authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation equipment or inventory held by a manufacturer of medical or biomedical products to protect the Texas healthcare network and strengthen our medical supply chain.

AGAINST: This would carve out a tax-exempt group which would cause more tax burden on others.

Proposition 11 (SJR 32): Authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.

AGAINST: Bonds will ultimately result in more taxes.

Proposition 12 (HJR 134): Providing for the abolition of the office of county treasurer in Galveston County.

AGAINST: This would take a county’s accounting out of the voter’s hands and put it in a private company that has no accountability or oversight.

Proposition 13 (HJR 107): Increasing the mandatory age of retirement for state justices and judges.

AGAINST: Judges should be freshened more often anyway.

Proposition 14 (SJR 74): Providing for the creation of the centennial parks conservation fund to be used for the creation and improvement of state parks. 

AGAINST: This would create another slush fund that lacks transparency and raise the tax burden on Texans.