Texas propositions for Nov. 4 election: What they are saying and what they imply

Voters headed to the polls to vote on 17 Texas propositions Tuesday.  Beneath are explanations from the Texas Tribute and real-time outcomes for every race.  (Full election outcomes right here)

The poll language: “The constitutional modification offering for the creation of the everlasting technical establishment infrastructure fund and the out there workforce training fund to help the capital wants of academic packages supplied by the Texas State Technical Faculty System.”

What it means: This modification would create an endowment for the Texas State Technical Faculty Program.

Not like different public two-year schools, Texas State Technical Faculty doesn’t have taxing authority to subject bonds, and underfunding has led to a halt in essential capital enhancements. If voters approve the constitutional modification, TSTC officers have stated they’ll use the cash to repair campus infrastructure, improve classroom gear and increase its footprint throughout the state.

This comes after Gov. Greg Abbott made workforce coaching a precedence through the common legislative session. Texas employers have been signaling a decline in expert employees for fields resembling plumbing and welding, saying this might threaten Texas’ economic system.

Proponents of this allocation of funds say it might assist construct amenities for coaching and shut the talents hole in Texas. Critics have stated creating an endowment for TSTC would restrict authorities spending oversight and transparency. — Olla Mokhtar, Sneha Dey

The poll language: “The constitutional modification prohibiting the imposition of a tax on the realized or unrealized capital beneficial properties of a person, household, property, or belief.”

What it means: This may ban the state from taxing individuals or companies on income or potential income from capital property, resembling investments, actual property, beneficial objects and sure private property. It will additionally eradicate a franchise tax on enterprise trusts, which might lead the state to lose an estimated $152,000 in income per fiscal yr, in line with the state comptroller’s workplace.

Proponents of the capital beneficial properties tax ban say it doubles down on the state’s earnings tax ban, which was accepted by voters in 2019. State lawmakers instructed in an evaluation they don’t wish to repeat what occurred in Washington state the place officers there enacted a capital beneficial properties tax regardless of additionally prohibiting a state earnings tax. And through legislative discussions, state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, a Republican from Southlake who sponsored the proposal, stated that the franchise tax on enterprise trusts “may very well be construed as a capital beneficial properties tax undermining Texas financial competitiveness.” — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification requiring the denial of bail beneath sure circumstances to individuals accused of sure offenses punishable as a felony.”

What it means: This proposition would require judges to disclaim bail in sure circumstances for people accused of committing particular felonies, resembling homicide, aggravated assault and indecency with a baby. The state must reveal that bail shouldn’t be sufficient to forestall the defendant from being a flight or public security danger. Defendants, who’re legally presumed harmless, would even be entitled to the appropriate to an lawyer throughout their bail hearings.

The proposal is a part of a broad legislative bundle that Texas Republican leaders have stated is required to cut back violent crimes dedicated by individuals out on bond and to curb the power of “activist judges” to set “weak bail.” Civil rights teams stated preserving extra individuals behind bars would add to overcrowded jails with out really enhancing public security, whereas additionally pointing to a U.S. Supreme Court docket ruling that claims “liberty is the norm, and detention previous to trial or with out trial is the rigorously restricted exception.”

Beneath the Texas Structure, most defendants have the appropriate to be launched on bail aside from sure circumstances, resembling these charged with capital homicide or accused of sure repeat felonies. — Alex Nguyen

The poll language: “The constitutional modification to dedicate a portion of the income derived from state gross sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to offer for the allocation and use of that income.”

What it means: Texas’ water provide is dealing with quite a few threats, together with an rising demand for water as a result of speedy inhabitants progress, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water leaking out of previous infrastructure, and local weather change contributing to extra droughts and altering precipitation patterns. By one estimate, the state’s municipal provide won’t meet demand by 2030 if a serious drought have been to hit the state and no water options are carried out.

A Texas 2036 report estimated that the state wants practically $154 billion by 2050 for water infrastructure, together with $59 billion for water provide initiatives, $74 billion for leaky pipes and infrastructure upkeep, and $21 billion to repair damaged wastewater techniques.

To assist the state enhance and shield its water provide, state lawmakers are asking voters to approve $20 billion for water initiatives over the following 20 years. If accepted, as much as $1 billion of gross sales tax income can be deposited into the Texas Water Fund annually beginning in 2027. The cash would go to fixing ageing pipes and different infrastructure; creating and rising new water sources, resembling desalination; flood mitigation initiatives; and supporting conservation efforts to assist meet water calls for.The modification would additionally give the Texas Water Growth Board flexibility in distributing funds. — Alejandra Martinez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification authorizing the legislature to exempt from advert valorem taxation tangible private property consisting of animal feed held by the proprietor of the property on the market at retail.”

What it means: This constitutional modification would permit state lawmakers to increase tax exemptions on animal feed to incorporate when animal feed is held as stock to be offered. State Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, famous animal feed is already usually tax exempt when it’s harvested or bought by a farmer or rancher.

If the constitutional modification is accepted, accompanying laws from Harris would exempt animal feed stock from property taxes. That may decrease native property tax income and require the state to assist college districts make up for that loss, however these prices aren’t anticipated to be vital, in line with a fiscal word from the state’s Legislative Finances Board.

Just a few people registered in opposition to the proposed constitutional modification throughout legislative committee hearings. Critics have stated this provides animal feed sellers an unfair benefit, in line with the Home Analysis Group. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification prohibiting the legislature from enacting a regulation imposing an occupation tax on sure entities that enter into transactions conveying securities or imposing a tax on sure securities transactions.”

What it means: This proposal would forestall the state from creating new taxes on securities transactions, resembling inventory buying and selling, and from taxing those that function or work within the securities market, together with monetary establishments, brokers and sellers.

It was prompted by a new inventory trade anticipated to open in Texas and to guard investments, together with retirement accounts and pensions, following discussions of taxing monetary transactions in different states, in line with evaluation of the decision calling for the constitutional modification.

Just a few people registered in opposition to the proposal throughout legislative committee hearings, and critics have stated the state may gain advantage from these taxes ought to it want to boost extra income sooner or later, in line with the Home Analysis Group. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification authorizing the legislature to offer for an exemption from advert valorem taxation of all or a part of the market worth of the residence homestead of the surviving partner of a veteran who died because of a situation or illness that’s presumed beneath federal regulation to have been service-connected.”

What it means: This transformation would permit state lawmakers to provide property tax breaks on houses to the un-remarried spouses of U.S. veterans who the federal authorities decided died in connection to their service. State Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, stated throughout legislative discussions that the change is supposed to align Texas with a newer federal regulation that expanded advantages for veterans uncovered to poisonous substances throughout their service.

Accompanying laws by Turner would exempt qualifying spouses of veterans from paying any property taxes on their house in the event that they haven’t remarried. The state must make up the lowered property tax income for native college districts, however it’s not anticipated to be a big value, in line with a fiscal word from the state’s Legislative Finances Board. An estimated 3,000 spouses may doubtlessly profit from the exemption, in line with the fiscal word. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification to ban the legislature from imposing demise taxes relevant to a decedent’s property or the switch of an property, inheritance, legacy, succession, or reward.”

What it means: Although Texas doesn’t at the moment have an inheritance tax, this measure goals to forestall lawmakers from making an attempt to impose a tax on an property or when an property or inheritance is transferred. It will not eradicate different present taxes that may be related to an inheritance, resembling unpaid property taxes, in line with committee discussions on the proposal. Critics of this constitutional modification have stated it’s pointless and would restrict state lawmakers sooner or later, in line with the Home Analysis Group. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification to authorize the legislature to exempt from advert valorem taxation a portion of the market worth of tangible private property an individual owns that’s held or used for the manufacturing of earnings.”

What it means: This modification, together with accompanying laws, would exempt as much as $125,000 of companies’ stock or gear from being taxed by college districts, cities, counties or some other taxing entity. Beneath present regulation, companies don’t should pay taxes on that property if it’s price $2,500 or much less.

The state would assist choose up the tab for the quantity of property tax income college districts would lose. This may value the state an estimated $193.5 million from basic income in 2027 and greater than $100 million yearly from basic income in subsequent fiscal years, in line with a fiscal word from the Legislative Finances Board. Different taxing entities like cities and counties would both have to boost tax charges to make up for the misplaced income, or go with out it.

Critics, together with some native officers, have famous that the tax cuts may very well be utilized by companies at a number of places, in line with the Home Analysis Group. Proponents, together with a number of enterprise and business associations, have stated eliminating administrative and tax burdens for companies would contribute to financial progress that would outweigh native income losses. Recapture funds, or the tax income that faculty districts with larger property values ship again to the state to assist fund poorer college districts, would additionally go down. — María Méndez, Joshua Fechter

The poll language: “The constitutional modification to authorize the legislature to offer for a brief exemption from advert valorem taxation of the appraised worth of an enchancment to a residence homestead that’s utterly destroyed by a fireplace.”

What it means: This modification and accompanying laws would create a course of to quickly decrease property taxes on houses destroyed by hearth. Householders may apply for an adjusted tax invoice on the restored house for the yr during which the fireplace occurred, in line with the accompanying laws. To qualify, the house owner’s house must stay uninhabitable for no less than 30 days after the fireplace. These property tax invoice reductions may decrease native tax income and require the state to assist make up for varsity districts’ losses, however potential prices for the state couldn’t be calculated, in line with the laws’s fiscal word. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification authorizing the legislature to extend the quantity of the exemption from advert valorem taxation by a faculty district of the market worth of the residence homestead of an individual who’s aged or disabled.”

What it means: This constitutional modification would permit the state to boost a homestead exemption, a reduction on college property taxes that lowers how a lot of a house’s worth could be taxed to pay for public colleges. The elevated exemption would shave off $60,000 from the taxable worth of aged or disabled Texans’ houses, slightly than simply $10,000 beneath the present exemption.

Coupled with one other homestead exemption typically out there to Texas owners, which lawmakers are additionally asking voters to extend to $140,000 by means of one other poll proposition, aged or disabled Texans may get homestead exemptions of as much as $200,000 if the opposite proposition can be accepted by voters.

If the elevated exemption for aged or disabled owners is accepted by voters, the state must assist pay for income college districts lose. That might value the state greater than $1.2 billion typically income for the following two fiscal years and upwards of $477 million yearly after that, in line with a fiscal word from the state’s Legislative Finances Board. Recapture funds, or the tax income that faculty districts with larger property values ship again to the state to assist fund poorer college districts, would additionally go down.

Although these tax cuts for aged and disabled Texans haven’t confronted a lot public pushback, some have raised issues that such broad exemptions may very well be unsustainable for the state to pay for sooner or later. — María Méndez, Joshua Fechter

The poll language: “The constitutional modification relating to the membership of the State Fee on Judicial Conduct, the membership of the tribunal to overview the fee’s suggestions, and the authority of the fee, the tribunal, and the Texas Supreme Court docket to extra successfully sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct.”

What it means: This modification would change the make-up of Texas’ State Fee on Judicial Conduct and associated processes and powers.

At present, the State Fee on Judicial Conduct is made up of the next:

• six judges from six totally different courtroom ranges,
• two attorneys appointed by the State Bar of Texas who aren’t judges, and
• 5 residents appointed by the governor who’re no less than 30 years of age and aren’t attorneys or judges.

If accepted, the constitutional modification would beef up the citizen illustration on the fee by altering the make-up to:

• six judges or justices of courts appointed by the Texas Supreme Court docket of, two of whom must be trial courtroom judges (judicial members of the fee wouldn’t be allowed to be judges in the identical kind of courtroom), and
• seven residents appointed by the governor, who’re no less than 35 years of age.

Fee members would nonetheless should be confirmed by the Texas Senate.

Different vital adjustments to the judicial conduct overview course of would tweak how the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court docket selects overview tribunals. These tribunals, made up of seven Court docket of Appeals justices, overview the fee’s advice for the removing or retirement of a decide. The modification would additionally regulate when and the way the fee and overview tribunal must self-discipline judges, together with in some circumstances by prohibiting an individual from holding judicial workplace sooner or later.

The phrases of the present commissioners would expire by July 2026. A brief provision within the constitutional modification would authorize the Texas Supreme Court docket and the governor to start appointing further commissioners with staggered phrases, of both six, 4 or two years, starting in 2026.

Proponents of the proposed adjustments stated they might promote transparency and accountability within the judicial system and permit judicial misconduct to be addressed pretty and swiftly. Some critics stated that rising the variety of members of the general public on the fee may politicize the judicial self-discipline course of, in line with the Home Analysis Group. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification to extend the quantity of the exemption of residence homesteads from advert valorem taxation by a faculty district from $100,000 to $140,000.”

What it means: This constitutional modification would permit Texans who personal their house to see a lift within the state’s homestead exemption, or the slice of a house’s worth that may’t be taxed to pay for public colleges. The proposal would shave off $140,000 off the taxable worth of the house, as an alternative of the present $100,000.

The proprietor of a typical Texas house — valued at $302,000 final yr, in line with Zillow — would have saved about $490 on their college property taxes had the upper exemption been in place final yr, a Tribune calculation reveals. These financial savings outcome from a mix of the elevated homestead exemption and cuts to high school tax charges within the state’s upcoming two-year price range.

Accompanying laws would put the state on the hook for the income college districts lose if the elevated exemption passes. That’s estimated to value the state greater than $2.7 billion typically income for the 2026-2027 price range cycle and greater than $1 billion yearly after that, in line with the fiscal word for the accompanying college finance laws. Recapture funds, or the tax income that faculty districts with larger property values ship again to the state to assist fund poorer college districts, would additionally go down.

Some critics have stated the state ought to do extra to restrict native tax charges and spending in order that tax payments don’t proceed to rise, in line with the Home Analysis Group. — María Méndez, Joshua Fechter

The poll language: “The constitutional modification offering for the institution of the Dementia Prevention and Analysis Institute of Texas, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Analysis Fund to offer cash for analysis on and prevention and remedy of dementia, Alzheimer’s illness, Parkinson’s illness, and associated problems on this state, and transferring to that fund $3 billion from state basic income.”

What it means: This modification would offer $3 billion to create the Dementia Prevention and Analysis Institute of Texas to review dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s illness and different mind associated circumstances. The measure obtained bipartisan help from a majority of lawmakers and was one among Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative priorities.

If voters approve the constitutional modification, an preliminary $3 billion in state surplus income can be transferred to the fund, and a board appointed by Patrick, Home Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, and Gov. Greg Abbott can be set as much as approve analysis proposals. Going ahead, the institute would obtain as much as $300 million yearly. This funding is meant to draw physicians, researchers, and consultants to Texas.

The fund and institute are modeled after the state’s Most cancers Analysis and Prevention Institute, which has turn into the nation’s second largest funder of most cancers analysis. — Olla Mokhtar, Terri Langford

The poll language: “The constitutional modification affirming that oldsters are the first choice makers for his or her kids.”

What it means: This proposal would come with parental rights, as at the moment outlined out in federal case regulation, within the Texas Structure. The intent of the modification is to guard parental rights since “case regulation can change and disappear over time with the appointment of recent judges,” in line with an evaluation of the laws.

The structure can be amended to incorporate the next: “Gives that, to enshrine truths which can be deeply rooted on this nation’s historical past and traditions, the individuals of Texas hereby affirm {that a} mum or dad has the accountability to nurture and shield the mum or dad’s little one and the corresponding basic proper to train care, custody, and management of the mum or dad’s little one, together with the appropriate to make selections in regards to the kid’s upbringing.”

Some questions have been raised throughout legislative discussions about how the proposal would guarantee kids’s voices are additionally heard. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification clarifying {that a} voter should be a United States citizen.”

What it means: This modification would add language to the Texas Structure to explicitly say that “individuals who aren’t residents of the US” can not vote within the state. Although U.S. citizenship is already required to register to vote in Texas, this modification goals to forestall native governments in Texas from permitting native residents who aren’t residents to vote in native elections and is available in response to different states passing such insurance policies, in line with evaluation of the laws.

Critics of the measure stated it’s redundant and pointless. — María Méndez

The poll language: “The constitutional modification to authorize the legislature to offer for an exemption from advert valorem taxation of the quantity of the market worth of actual property situated in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the set up or building on the property of border safety infrastructure and associated enhancements.”

What it means: This proposal and accompanying laws would permit the state to forestall property worth in border counties from rising as a result of border safety infrastructure and associated enhancements.

This new exemption may scale back native tax income, however prices to the state to assist deal with college district losses aren’t anticipated to be vital, in line with a fiscal word. Different native governments might have to boost tax charges to offset the losses, in line with the fiscal word.

Proponents of the measure say it will deal with issues that border safety infrastructure added to personal land by the state may enhance that property’s appraisal and burden on property homeowners, in line with the Home Analysis Group. Critics have stated the state shouldn’t incentivize extra border safety infrastructure on personal land and that the change may shift the tax burden to different native property homeowners. — María Méndez

Disclosure: Each Texan, State Bar of Texas and Texas 2036 have been monetary supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan information group that’s funded partly by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Monetary supporters play no function within the Tribune’s journalism. Discover a full listing of them right here.

This story comes from The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media group that informs Texans – and engages with them – about public coverage, politics, authorities, and statewide points.