On Tuesday, November 5, Texas voters considered 10 proposed amendments to the state Constitution. Nine passed. Most notably:
- Proposition 6 authorizes the legislature to increase the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) by $3 billion
- Proposition 7 authorizes an increase of the amount in the Available School Fund
- Proposition 8 creates a flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects
- Proposition 4 makes it more difficult for future lawmakers to impose a personal income tax
Locally, in the race to replace the State House of Representatives seat (House District 100) previously held by current Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, two candidates, activist Lorraine Birabil and developer James Armstrong III, emerged from a pack of five candidates to qualify for a January runoff election. Armstrong edged the third-place finisher by five votes, demonstrating the importance of voting in local elections. Whomever is elected in January will be up for a primary in March to keep their seat.
A full breakdown of the ballot propositions, their significance, and results is below:
Proposition 1
Allowing selected municipal court judges to serve multiple municipalities at the same time. Currently, only appointed municipal court judges — who make up more than 95 percent of the state’s municipal court judges, according to the House Research Organization — can serve multiple jurisdictions at the same time.
Rejected (35 percent Yes, 65 percent No)
Proposition 2
Allowing the Texas Water Development Board to issue bonds to fund water and wastewater infrastructure projects in areas where median household income is at or below 75 percent of the statewide median income level.
Approved (66 percent Yes, 34 percent No)
Proposition 3
Allowing the Legislature to create temporary property tax exemptions for people with property damage in governor-declared disaster areas. The Legislature would be able to pass laws determining the eligibility requirements for exemptions, as well as the duration and amount of any write-offs.
Approved (85 percent Yes, 15 percent No)
Proposition 4
Making it more challenging for future lawmakers to enact a personal income tax, requiring support from two-thirds – instead of a simple majority – of the House and Senate and a majority of Texas voters.
Approved (74 percent Yes, 26 percent No)
Proposition 5
Earmarking all revenue from the sporting goods sales tax toward the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission, as intended when the tax was created in 1993.
Approved (88 percent Yes, 12 percent No)
Proposition 6
Allowing the Legislature to double the maximum amount of bonds it can issue on behalf of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, to $6 billion.
Approved (64 percent Yes, 36 percent No)
Proposition 7
Allowing the General Land Office, the State Board of Education and other entities to double the amount of revenue they can give to the Available School Fund each year. The Available School Fund provides classroom materials and funding for Texas schools.
Approved (74 percent Yes, 26 percent No)
Proposition 8
Creating a flood infrastructure fund that the Texas Water Development Board could use to finance drainage, flood mitigation and flood control projects after a disaster.
Approved (78 percent Yes, 22 percent No)
Proposition 9
Allowing the Legislature to create a property tax exemption for precious metals in state depositories — like the Texas Bullion Depository, scheduled to open next year in Leander.
Approved (52 percent Yes, 48 percent No)
Proposition 10
Allowing for former handlers or qualified caretakers to adopt retired law enforcement animals without a fee.
Approved (94 percent Yes, 6 percent No)
Please Note: Results are as of 9:41 a.m. Wednesday, November 6, and include early voting and election night returns from every county except Harris, where the data is incomplete.