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Texas election results: Which constitutional amendments passed and what does that mean now? [1]
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Date: 2023-11-08
Texas voters passed 13 of the 14 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution except Proposition 13, which would have raised the mandatory retirement age for state justices and judges from 75 to 79 years old, according to the unofficial election results.
See the totals for each proposition:Texas election results dashboard
The landslides races Tuesday night were Proposition 4, which will deliver about $18 billion in property tax cuts, and Proposition 9, which will give cost-of-living adjustments to retired teachers' pension. Each received 83% of the vote.
Proposition 10, concerning tax breaks for medical manufacturers, and Proposition 12, which abolishes the Galveston County treasurer's office, were the closest races, but both passed with 55% and 53% of the vote, respectively, results show.
Proposition 3, which bans wealth or net worth taxes, received more than 67% support.
Proposition 1 will amend the constitution to protect people's and businesses' right to farm, ranch, produce timber or manage wildlife on land they own or lease. It also allows the state or local governments to regulate these practices but only if there is "clear and convincing evidence” that public health and safety are in imminent danger or to prevent danger to animals or crop production, or conserve natural resources.
Proposition 2 will allow counties and cities to lower property taxes on child care centers that are owned or rented and have at least 20% of enrolled children receiving subsidized child care. The exemption will have to be for at least 50% of the appraised value.
Proposition 3 will prohibit an individual wealth or net worth tax — in other words, a tax on the value of one's assets minus liabilities. Texas does not have such a tax.
Proposition 4 will allow the state to implement this year the historic property tax cuts the Legislature approved in July. It achieves this by allowing the state to spend more than $12 billion from the general revenue fund to pay for the cuts. More than $7 billion will be sent to local school districts so they can lower their tax rates, saving homeowners an average of $1,300 a year, according to proponents. An estimated $5.6 billion will be used to pay for boosting the homestead exemption, lopping $100,000 off the value of a home for school tax purposes, up from the current $40,000 exemption.
Proposition 5 will expand funding for research grants for Texas public universities. It will rename the National Research University Fund to the Texas University Fund, which provides financial support to emerging Texas research universities to use for research, with the hope of elevating their national prominence and boosting the state economy.
The University of Texas and Texas A&M university systems will not benefit from this fund as they receive money from the Permanent University Fund.
The Texas University Fund — which will be fed by the interest, dividends and investment earnings of the state's rainy day fund — will receive $100 million for fiscal 2024, and that amount would be adjusted for inflation in future years but capped at 2% growth.
More:Proposition 5 would create $3.9B endowment for research at Texas public universities
Proposition 6 will create a Texas water fund to provide grants and low-interest loans for badly needed water projects across the state. The Texas Water Development Board will administer the fund, which will start with $1 billion that lawmakers set aside from the state's general revenue fund.
This amendment will create a $5 billion state energy fund to provide loans or grants to companies to build or upgrade electricity generating plants.
Proposition 8 will allow for the creation of a $1.5 billion state fund to expand high-speed internet across Texas. The fund would expire in 10 years, though it could be extended by the Legislature for an additional 10 years.
Proposition 9 authorizes the first permanent cost-of-living adjustments for retired teachers in nearly two decades, as approved by the Legislature earlier this year. It will bring a:
2% increase for those who retired after Aug. 31, 2013, but before Aug. 31, 2020.
4% increase for those who retired after Aug. 31, 2001, but before Aug. 31, 2013.
6% increase for those who retired on or before Aug. 31, 2001.
The amendment will adjust annuities to qualifying beneficiaries of the Texas Teacher Retirement System, to be subsidized by a $3.355 billion fund.
More:Proposition to give Round Rock teachers raises draws opposition
This measure passed by comparatively thin margins, with 55% of Texans in favor of approving and 45% against. It will exempt medical or biomedical equipment manufacturers from paying property taxes on their inventory and equipment used in the manufacturing process. In the past, Texas passed tax exemptions on a variety of equipment to bolster industry, including agricultural equipment, pollution control equipment and marine oil drilling equipment.
Proposition 11 will add El Paso County to the list of counties that allow their conservation reclamation districts to issue bonds to develop or finance parks and recreational facilities. The Texas Constitution was amended in 2003 to give only a select 10 counties (and the Tarrant County Regional Water District) permission to fund these parks in this manner, including Travis, Williamson and Bastrop.
Both Texas voters and voters in Galveston County were required to approve this measure, and they did, though by thin margins. Fifty-three percent of Texans and just under 52% of Galveston County residents voted to abolish the Galveston County Treasurer's office, effective Jan. 1. The county's Commissioners Court will assign the treasurer's duties to individuals in other county offices or will contract the work.
Proposition 13 would raise the mandatory retirement age for state judges from 75 to 79. It would also allow the Legislature to set a lower retirement age, though not less than 75.
Proposition 14 will allow the state to use up to $1 billion from its budget surplus to create a Centennial Parks Conservation Fund for the creation and improvement of state parks.
More:Statesman editorial endorsements in the Nov. 7 election
Editor's note: this article previously stated that Proposition 13 had passed in its second mention of the measure. The text has been updated to reflect in all mentions that Proposition 13 was rejected.
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[1] Url:
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/11/08/texas-constitutional-amendment-election-results-2023-voters-pass-reject-state-propositions/71476301007/#proposition3
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