Changing the Texas Constitution (again)
Posted Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011
It's a cumbersome way of doing things, but every two years Texans are asked to vote on
amendments to the state constitution. The Legislature submits them to voters to accomplish its
goals in ways currently blocked, or at least not specifically allowed, by the constitution.
The only other way to do it would be to have a constitutional convention and rewrite the whole
thing, and who knows what havoc that could wreak.
There are 10 amendments on the Nov. 8 ballot. On Sunday, the Star-Telegram Editorial Board
published its recommendations on two water-related amendments, Propositions 2 and 8. Here
are the rest:
Proposition 1: Property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally
disabled veteran.
Supporters say this would help ease the minds of disabled veterans who worry about their
surviving spouse's financial stability. The exemption is removed if the surviving spouse
remarries.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends voting for Proposition 1.
Proposition 3: General obligation bonds to finance education loans.
This would allow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to continue funding HinsonHazelwood student loans. The board could issue new bonds when old ones were paid off so
long as the amount outstanding did not exceed $1.86 billion.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends voting for Proposition 3.
Proposition 4: County bonds financed by incremental tax revenue in transportation reinvestment
zones.
This could be a helpful economic development tool, but county commissioners still would have
to set up the zones so that county taxpayers would benefit also.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends a vote for Proposition 4.
Proposition 5: Eliminating provisions that treat city or county joint service agreements as longterm debt.
Local governments should be given every incentive to save taxpayer dollars by sharing services
whenever they can. Current requirements inhibit that sharing.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends a vote for Proposition 5.
Proposition 6: Direct contributions from the General Land Office to the Available School Fund
from investments in Permanent School Fund land.
Putting money in the Available School Fund allows it to be spent rather than used for
investment. Earnings from land and other investments currently go to the Permanent School
Fund, and the State Board of Education, under guidelines, decides whether to spend or invest.
The current process is more prudent.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends a vote against Proposition 6.
Proposition 7: Allowing voters in El Paso County to create special tax districts to pay for parks
and recreational facilities.
Ten other counties and the Tarrant Regional Water District currently have this authority. This
would allow El Paso County voters to decide for themselves whether to set up their own district.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends a vote for Proposition 7.
Proposition 9: Authorizing the governor to pardon people who successfully complete a term of
deferred adjudication community supervision for their crimes.
While anyone would want his record to be cleaned of any arrest or conviction, the public also
has a right to know of these things. It's embarrassing when they show up in a pre-employment
background check or a political campaign, but those are legitimate consequences of committing
a crime.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends a vote against Proposition 9.
Proposition 10: Changing the date before which some elected officials must resign from office
to run for another office.
This is to conform to a new election schedule set up to give military and overseas voters time to
return their mail-in ballots.
The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends a vote for Proposition 10.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/10/23/3466711/changing-the-texasconstitution.html#ixzz1biDwbcpC