On the Nov. 5 ballot, voters will be asked to decide on 10 constitutional amendments and, depending upon their location, may have the chance to participate in special elections and local city and county propositions. The 10 constitutional amendments cover issues from funding for cancer research to allocating additional resources to public schools. Sample ballots, information on where to vote, and what identification is needed to vote, can be found on the Secretary of State's website.
The 10 constitutional amendments are listed below. In brief, they are:
- Proposition 1 (HJR 72) - Permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time;
- Proposition 2 (SJR 79) - Enabling the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to issue up to $200 million in general obligation bonds for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in flood-damaged areas that are economically distressed;
- Proposition 3 (HJR 34) - Authorizing the Texas Legislature to provide for temporary property tax exemptions on properties damaged in disasters;
- Proposition 4 (HJR 38) - Prohibiting the imposition of a personal state income tax;
- Proposition 5 (SJR 24) - Dedicating revenue from existing state sales taxes on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas' natural areas, water quality, and history;
- Proposition 6 (HJR 12) - Authorizing the Legislature to increase the bonding authority of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) from $3 billion to $6 billion;
- Proposition 7 (HJR 151) - Allowing increased distributions by state agencies and boards to the Available School Fund, which provides classroom materials and funding for Texas schools;
- Proposition 8 (HJR 4) - Providing for the creation of a flood infrastructure fund that the TWDB could use to finance drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects in areas impacted by disasters;
- Proposition 9 (HJR 95) - Authorizing the Legislature to exempt precious metals held in an official depository from property taxes; and
- Proposition 10 (SJR 32) - Allowing former handlers or qualified caretakers to adopt retired law enforcement animals without being assessed a fee.
For more information on the Nov. 5 constitutional amendments, view the House Research Organization's report.