November 7th, 2023
Constitutional Amendments Election
ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, Nov. 7th, 2023
EARLY VOTING: passed
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: passed
EARLY VOTING: passed
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: passed
For more information on how to register to vote, voting locations, and sample ballots,
check the Travis County and Williamson County elections websites.
check the Travis County and Williamson County elections websites.
State of Texas
Constitutional Amendment Propositions 1-14
Proposition 1 (HJR 126)
“The constitutional amendment protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management.”
Interpretation: This amendment will explicitly protect the right to engage in “generally accepted” farm, ranch, timber, horticulture, and wildlife. It does not, however, prohibit the Legislature or authorized state agencies from regulating such activities for specific purposes.
Proposition 2 (SJR 64)
“The constitutional amendment authorizing a local option exemption from ad valorem taxation by a county or municipality of all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate a child-care facility.”
Interpretation: This amendment would allow cities and counties to exempt all or part of the appraised value of a childcare facility’s property from taxation.
Proposition 3 (HJR 132)
“The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual wealth or net worth tax, including a tax on the difference between the assets and liabilities of an individual or family.”
Interpretation: This amendment will prohibit the Texas Legislature from imposing any type of wealth tax on an individual or family (a tax based on net wealth).
Proposition 4 (HJR 2 – Second Special Session)
“The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts.”
Interpretation: This amendment would officially authorize the property tax relief package that was passed by the Legislature during the second special session. While many Texas politicians have claimed that this relief is the largest in Texas history at $18 billion, that is unfortunately not true. It is the second largest in history, amounting to $12.7 Billion in new relief (the largest was in 2007). Additionally, while this will provide some temporary relief, because of inflation, rising appraisals, and increasing local government budgets, most of the relief will be very short-lived.
Proposition 5 (HJR 3)
“The constitutional amendment relating to the Texas University Fund, which provides funding to certain institutions of higher education to achieve national prominence as major research universities and drive the state economy.”
Interpretation: This Amendment would rename the national research university fund as the Texas University Fund (TUF) and would establish an ongoing revenue source from the accrued interest of the economic stabilization fund.
Proposition 6 (SJR 75)
“The constitutional amendment creating the Texas water fund to assist in financing water projects in this state.”
Interpretation: This amendment would create the Texas Water Fund to help finance water projects in Texas.
Proposition 7 (SJR 93)
“The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the Texas energy fund to support the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric generating facilities.”
Interpretation: This Amendment would create the Texas Energy fund to provide grants and loans of taxpayer money to private energy companies, for new construction or maintenance. These grants and loans would essentially act as corporate welfare or government bailouts for energy companies.
Proposition 8 (HJR 125)
“The constitutional amendment creating the broadband infrastructure fund to expand high-speed broadband access and assist in the financing of connectivity projects.”
Interpretation: This amendment would create the broadband infrastructure fund, to help expand broadband access in Texas, by spending billions in taxpayer dollars.
Proposition 9 (HJR 2)
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.”
Interpretation: This amendment would provide a cost-of-living adjustment to the retirement payments of retired Texas Teachers.
Proposition 10 (SJR 87)
“The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation equipment or inventory held by a manufacturer of medical or biomedical products to protect the Texas healthcare network and strengthen our medical supply chain.”
Interpretation: This amendment will provide medical and biomedical manufacturing companies (private businesses) with potentially billions of dollars in tax breaks. This is a tax break carve-out that will increase the tax burden on small businesses and homeowners.
Proposition 11 (SJR 32)
“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities.”
Interpretation: Currently, El Paso does not have the authority to issue bonds to fund the development or maintenance of parks and recreational facilities. This amendment would remedy this restriction for El Paso County.
Proposition 12 (HJR 134)
“The constitutional amendment providing for the abolition of the Office of County Treasurer in Galveston County.”
Interpretation: This amendment would simply abolish the position of county treasurers in Galveston County.
Proposition 13 (HJR 107)
“The constitutional amendment to increase the mandatory age of retirement for state justices and judges.”
Interpretation: The current mandatory retirement age for State Justices and Judges is 75 years old. This amendment would raise the mandatory retirement age to 79 years.
Proposition 14 (SJR 74)
“The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund to be used for the creation and improvement of state parks.”
Interpretation: Would create a fund to use taxpayer dollars to maintain, improve or create new State parks through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).