Texas Political Update October 18, 2021
Texas lawmakers were very busy over the past week and weekend, passing redistricting maps for the Texas House and Texas Senate, and advancing the US Congressional map to a conference committee. In addition, they passed a measure to protect girls’ sports, as well as bonding authority for state colleges and universities to leverage the federal pandemic relief dollars for debt service into capacity-adding construction projects.
Beginning today (Monday), Texas voters can weigh in on potential changes to the state’s Constitution regarding religious services, eligibility requirements for judges, county infrastructure and more. Election day is Nov. 2nd, and early voting begins Oct. 18th and lasts until Oct. 29th. (Check with your local election officials for times and early voting venues). The proposed additions to the Texas Constitution were passed as bills during this year’s legislative session, and a majority of voters in the state must approve each amendment before it can be officially added to the Constitution.
There are no state elected seats on the ballot this November (those elections happen in 2022). Certain local elections may have area-specific positions and initiatives on the ballot, or school board officials and city council members. Here’s the breakdown of each proposed amendment:
Proposition 1: would allow charitable raffles at rodeo events. Unauthorized raffles can be considered illegal gambling under Texas law.
Proposition 2: would authorize counties to issue bonds or notes to raise funds for transportation infrastructure in underdeveloped areas. Already, cities and towns have the authority to fund projects with this financing method.
Proposition 3: would ban the state from prohibiting or limiting religious services, including those in churches and other places of worship.
Proposition 4: would require candidates to have 10 years of experience practicing law in Texas to be eligible for election to the Texas Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals or a Texas court of appeals.
Proposition 5: would allow the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to have oversight of candidates running for judicial seats by accepting complaints or reports, conducting investigations and reprimanding them.
Proposition 6: would allow residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to designate one essential caregiver who cannot be denied in-person visitation rights.
Proposition 7: would put a limit on school district property taxes incurred by the surviving spouse of a person with disabilities older than 65 who has died. The surviving spouse must be at least 55 years old at the partner’s time of death and still live in the home.
Proposition 8: would expand eligibility for residential homestead tax exemptions to include spouses of military members killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.
