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Voters say yes to all 11 constitutional amendments By Emily Boswell Voters, though only a small number of statewide voters, approved all propositions on the Texas ballot Tuesday. Right at 8 percent of the nearly 13 million registered voters in the state turned out for the constitutional amendment election. Early voting began Oct. 19. Most notably, Proposition 11, which dealt with property rights and eminent domain, won approval with a resounding 81 percent. The amendment would prohibit governments from taking private property for private economic development to increase a tax base unless the person consents. The amendment would require a two-thirds vote of all members of each chamber to grant the power of eminent domain. Proposition 4, another notable amendment on the ballot, will create a national research university fund from the $500 million in the existing permanent school fund to help fund more Tier One universities in the state. Early voting results put the proposition ahead with 57 percent of voter’s support, while the final numbers solidified that, varying by less than a percent. With the passage of Proposition 10, the legislature may limit members of a governing board of emergency services district to serving terms of no more than four years. The change will allow members serving on an ESD a longer period to gain experience and serve their community before their term expires. Propositions 2, 3 and 5, which all dealt with property taxation, passed. Proposition 2 provides for the taxation of a residence based solely on the property’s value as a residence, regardless of its location. Proposition 3 will provide uniform taxing procedures across the state and Proposition 5 will permit a single appraisal review board for two or more adjoining appraisal entities. Propositions 6 and 8, which dealt with funding for VA hospitals in the state and land mortgages for veterans, both passed, meaning the state will be able to provide funding for hospital maintenance and construction and the Veteran’s Land Board will be able to issue bonds more easily. Proposition 7 allows members of the Texas State Guard to hold civil offices while actively enlisted. Proposition 9, defining what is a state owned beach, will allow the public unrestricted access to any public beach and would limit developers from denying that right. Proposition 1 amends the law to allow counties or municipalities to acquire land or buffer areas near military bases and to increase property taxes to pay back any bonds issued for that purpose.
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