Yes, there is a Texas statewide election on Nov. 4.
Early voting starts on Monday, Oct. 6 and last for 2 week.
It is a Texas Constitutional Election and there are 17 items to vote on in Texas.
1. Texas Technical College Funding-
The ballot language: “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 vote is to establish an endowment for the Texas Technical College.
Unlike other 2 year Texas colleges it cannot issue bonds.
The money would be used to build new buildings.....make Texas Technical College keep up with other states.....Critics say-creating an endowment for TSTC would limit government spending oversight and transparency.
2. Capital Gains Tax Ban
The ballot language: “The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust.”
This would ban the state from taxing people or businesses on profits or potential profits from capital gains.....such as investments, real estate, valuable items and certain personal property. Proponents of the capital gains tax ban say it doubles down on the state’s income tax ban......It stops a back door income taxes from occurring...
3. Bail Reform
The ballot language: “The constitutional amendment requiring the denial of bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain offenses punishable as a felony.”
This proposition would require judges to deny bail in certain cases for individuals accused of committing specific felonies, such as murder, aggravated assault and indecency with a child. The state would have to demonstrate that bail is not enough to prevent the defendant from being a flight or public safety risk.
It is being done to stop crimes being committed by people out on bail, often as they are saying on weak bail.
4. Water Infrastructure Funding
The ballot language: “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.”
Texas water systems are not keeping up with the growth of the state. This is to fix old pipes, old buildings, etc, and keep up with Texas growth. Also improve flood zone improvement.
5. Exemption on Animal Feed
The ballot language: “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.”
In other words property taxes on animal feed cannot be included in Property taxes. The state is to make up what taxes are lost.
6. Securities Tax Ban
The ballot language: “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.”
There is supposed to be a new stock market, bond market established in Texas, and it is to keep taxes on the market, especially those involving retirement accounts and pensions. Plus the state taxing stocks and bonds traded in Texas.
7. Tax Exemption for Veteran's Spouses
The ballot language: “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.”
This change would allow state lawmakers to give property tax breaks on homes to the un-remarried spouses of U.S. veterans who the federal government determined died in connection to their service...The state is to make-up for what taxes are lost here.
8. Inheritance Tax Ban
The ballot language: “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.”
It stops the state from ever having an inheritance tax. ( It does not have one now)
9. Inventory and Equipment Tax Ban
The ballot language: “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.”
It would exempt up to $125,000 of businesses’ inventory or equipment from being taxed by school districts, cities, counties or any other taxing entity. Under current law, businesses don’t have to pay taxes on that property if it’s worth $2,500 or less.
The state would pick-up any taxes lost.
10. Tax Exemption for House Lost in a Fire
The ballot language: “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.”
It would lower taxes on the property until your house is re-built.
11. Tax Exception for the Elderly and Disabled
The ballot language: “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.”
This constitutional amendment would allow the state to raise a homestead exemption, a discount on school property taxes that lowers how much of a home’s value can be taxed to pay for public schools. The increased exemption would shave off $60,000 from the taxable value of elderly or disabled Texans’ homes, rather than just $10,000 under the current exemption.
If the increased exemption for elderly or disabled homeowners is approved by voters, the state would have to help pay for revenue school districts lose. That could cost the state more than $1.2 billion in general revenue for the next two fiscal years and upwards of $477 million annually after that, according to from the state’s Legislative Budget Board. Recapture payments, or the tax revenue that school districts with higher property values send back to the state to help fund poorer school districts, would also go down.
12. A Change to the State Judicial Conduct Commission
The ballot language: “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.”
Right now here is the make-up of the commission-
- six judges from six different court levels,
- two attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Texas who aren’t judges, and
- five citizens appointed by the governor who are at least 30 years of age and aren’t attorneys or judges.
Here would be the change
- six judges or justices of courts appointed by the Texas Supreme Court of, two of whom would have to be trial court judges (judicial members of the commission would not be allowed to be judges in the same type of court), and
- seven citizens appointed by the governor, who are at least 35 years of age.
Here is the question? How political would the commission become due to these changes?
13. Increased Tax Exemption for Homeowners
The ballot language: “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.”
Texans who own their home to see a boost in the state’s homestead exemption, or the slice of a home’s value that can’t be taxed to pay for public schools. The proposal would shave off $140,000 off the taxable value of the home, instead of the current $100,000.
Texas Homeowners would have saved about $500 last year if this would have been in place.
Again, the state would make up for tax monies lost.....They are saying $2 to 6 billion dollars......Does Texas have the money?
14. Money for Dementia Research
The ballot language: “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.”
One of the Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's pet project....Again, does Texas have the funds?
15. Codifying Parents Rights
The ballot language: “The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children.”
Not sure what this really means and they do not really know. Some of it involves history, but what is historical truths? Yours? What they want you to learn?
16. Clarifying Citizenship for Voting
The ballot language: “The constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a United States citizen.”
I thought we did this already? We jumped through hoops when we got our last driver's licenses to prove we were US Citizens....And the last time I used my US Passport to vote, they bitched.
I know I try and not add my feelings, but more political theater. A waste of money of something already being done. Our Texas ID/ Licenses already tell whether we are US Citizen's or not....What are they wanting a national ID, like in the old Soviet Union? We already have one in your license. Try and fly without one. And the last time we flew in both Pittsburgh and Seattle, they really wanted our passports.
17. Property Tax Exemption for Border Security Infrastructure
The ballot language: “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.”
Proponents of the measure say this will address that added to private land by the state could increase that property’s appraisal and burden on property owners, according to the House Research Organization. Critics say the state should not incentivize more border security infrastructure on private land and that the change could shift the tax burden to other local property owners
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