On Tuesday, voters across Texas weighed in on ten proposals to amend the state constitution, approving nine of them, while also narrowing down the field in three special elections for House seats that will head to runoffs.
1.) Allowing municipal court judges to hold office in more than one municipality.
"The constitutional amendment permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time."
FAILED 35-65%
2) Allowing the Texas Water Development Board to issue bonds to fund sewer and water services in poor areas.
"The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas."
PASSED 65-35%
3) Allowing property owners in disaster-impacted areas to be exempt from property taxes for that year.
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster."
PASSED 85-15%
4) Imposing an explicit ban on a state individual income tax.
"The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual's share of partnership and unincorporated association income."
PASSED 75-25%
5) Imposing tighter controls to ensure that taxes on sporting goods are used to help fund the parks department and historical commission, as required by current law.
"The constitutional amendment dedicating the revenue received from the existing state sales and use taxes that are imposed on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas' natural areas, water quality, and history by acquiring, managing, and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes."
PASSED 88-12%
6) Allowing the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas."
PASSED 63-37%
7) Increasing the amount the Permanent School Fund can contribute to education annually, from $300 million to $600 million.
"The constitutional amendment allowing increased distributions to the available school fund."
PASSED 74-26%
8.) Creating a flood infrastructure fund to help local governments determine and implement basic flood preparedness techniques in their area.
"The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects."
PASSED 77-23%
9.) Exempting precious metals held in Texas depositories from property taxes.
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the Legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state."
PASSED 52-48%
10.) Allowing retired law enforcement animal transfer without fee.
"The constitutional amendment to allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances."
