The Texas Legislature accomplished much in the past legislative session and some proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution will be on the ballot for your consideration in the upcoming election. The uniform election date is next Tuesday, November 3, 2015. Early voting will end this Friday.
For your information, here is a summary of constitutional amendments that will appear on the ballot:
Proposition #1 – Increases the public school homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000.
Proposition #2 – Exempts the spouse of a 100% disabled veteran from property taxes, even if the disabled veteran died prior to the enactment of the law authorizing the exemption.
Proposition #3 – Removes the requirement that the comptroller, land commissioner, attorney general, and any other statewide elected officer reside in the capital during his or her term of office.
Proposition #4 – Allows professional sports teams with charitable foundations to conduct “50/50” charitable raffles at home games. In these raffles, up to 50 percent of the of the gross proceeds may be awarded to a winner in cash, while the remaining proceeds go to the charitable foundation.
Proposition #5 – Allows a county with a population of 7,500 or less to build and maintain private roads if the county imposes a reasonable charge for the work. The current threshold is a county with a population of less than 5,000.
Proposition #6 – Preserves the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife in Texas. Does not affect any laws relating to trespass, eminent domain, property rights, or gun safety and control; simply states that Texans have a constitutional right to hunt and fish.
Proposition #7 – Directs up to $2.5 billion in sales tax proceeds in excess of $28 billion to the state highway fund, beginning in Fiscal Year 2018. Also directs 35 percent of the motor vehicle sales tax collections in excess of $5 billion to the state highway fund, beginning in Fiscal Year 2020. These funds could not be used for toll roads.
Senator Kel Seliger 