Constitutional amendments on Texas ballots this fall

• One proposition would set stricter bail rules and another would cap property values in counties that border Mexico.

State of play: There are more statewide propositions this year than when Texans last voted on constitutional amendments in 2023.

The intrigue: Voter turnout tends to be low for nonpresidential November elections. Over 2.5 million Texans — or 14.4% of registered voters — cast a ballot in 2023, the most for a constitutional amendment election since 2005.

What's next: Early voting is Oct. 20 to Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4.

Tax propositions

💰 No capital gains: Proposition 2 would prohibit the state from imposing a tax on capital gains, or profits from the sale of assets like property or stocks. This adds to the state income tax ban passed by voters in 2019.

🐄 Animal feed exemption: Proposition 5 would exempt animal feed in a business inventory from property taxes. Animal feed is only taxed when it sits in inventory right now.

📈 No securities tax: Proposition 6 would prohibit the state from taxing securities transactions or stock trading. The state is home to a new stock exchange.

🏡 Inheritance tax ban: Proposition 8 would keep Texas from implementing a tax on the transference of property or an estate after a person dies.

🧾 Inventory tax exemption: Proposition 9 would exempt up to $125,000 of business equipment from taxation by cities, counties and school districts. The current tax exemption is capped at $2,500.

• If enacted, the state would have to pay the revenue school districts would lose, costing more than $194 million in 2027 and more than $100 million annually after that.

Property taxes

🪖 Veteran spouse tax exemptions: Proposition 7 would allow the state to provide property tax exemptions to the spouses of military veterans whose death is connected to their service. An estimated 3,000 spouses who have not remarried could qualify for the exemption.

🔥 Property tax relief after fire: Proposition 10 would create a temporary property tax exemption on homes that were destroyed by a fire.

✏️ Elderly tax exemption: Proposition 11 would increase the school district homestead exemption from $10,000 to $60,000 for homeowners who are disabled or 65 and older.

🏫 School tax exemption: Proposition 13 would increase the school district homestead exemption for all homeowners from $100,000 to $140,000. The state would have to offset the revenue loss for public schools, estimated to cost about $1.3 billion in 2026.

• A typical Texan would have saved about $490 on their property tax bill last year under the proposal, according to the Texas Tribune.

🇲🇽 Border security tax exemption: Proposition 17 would exempt the homeowners living in counties along the Mexican border from paying increased property taxes on raised property values due to new border security infrastructure built on the property.

Boosting state funds

🎓 Technical training: Proposition 1 would create an endowment for the Texas State Technical College System. The college system offers workforce training for plumbers, manufacturers, medical technicians, and other skilled workers.

💧 Water source funds: Proposition 4 would deposit up to $1 billion of sales tax revenue annually until 2047 to increase water sources, improve system infrastructure and fix aging pipes.

🧠 Dementia research: Proposition 14 would use $3 billion from Texas general revenue fund in January to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund to pay for studies about dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other related disorders.

Judicial changes

⚖️ Denial of bail: Proposition 3 would require judges to deny bail in certain circumstances for people accused of certain felonies, like murder, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery. Judges could also deny bail if the person is considered a flight or public safety risk.

• Texas Policy Research, a nonpartisan organization supporting individual freedoms, recommends voters reject the amendment because it "expands the scope of government authority without adequate safeguards."

🧑‍⚖️ Judicial conduct: Proposition 12 would change the makeup of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which disciplines judges. Under the plan, Texas Supreme Court would appoint six judges or justices to the commission and the governor would appoint seven citizens, an increase from five.

• The State Bar of Texas now appoints two attorneys to the commission. Such appointments would be eliminated if the proposition is approved.

Enshrining rights

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Parental rights: Proposition 15 would codify parental rights into the Texas constitution to ensure parents have "the right to make decisions concerning the child's upbringing."

🗳️ Citizenship voting requirement: Proposition 16 adds text to the Texas constitution that "persons who are not citizens of the United States" are not allowed to vote. Only U.S. citizens can register to vote.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show that $3 billion (not $2 billion) would go to dementia research in Proposition 14.