How I’m voting in the Nov 7 election
The Texas Secretary of State's office has published an explainer of the items on this ballot. Election day is Tuesday, early voting continues through Friday, I believe.
https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2023-explanatory-statements-14-final.pdf
Here are my notes on the items
Proposition items numerically
#1 - The Texas Farm Bureau sees cities and subdivisions as encroaching on farms and ranches. However, according to my very well informed former lobbyist friend David Marwitz, there are already adequate laws on the books protecting the “right to farm” and this amendment was crafted by the agribusiness interests to protect their “right” to put giant livestock yards wherever they feel regardless of environmental and pollution consequences. I’ll be voting “NO”.
#2 - Permits property tax exemption by local government for child care/day care facilities. Given that day care is getting harder to find and probably already is over-regulated in the interest of safety for kids, I think this could possibly help a few places stay open or be opened. I'll vote YES
#3 - Bans the future possible imposition of a State wealth tax on individuals. I'm sure this will pass, as everyone hates taxes but I'll be voting NO because the rich get richer and richer and don't need more help.
#4 - relates to appraisals of property tax and also to the increase in the homestead exemption for property taxpayers. I'm uncertain and a bit suspicious about the appraisal limitation, my gut says no, but I'm in support of the homestead exemption increase so I'll be voting YES
#5 - Creates a secondary version of the Permanent University Fund endowment that would benefit Texas public Universities other than UT and A&M which already receive massive funding) engaged in research. Not the perfect answer but the one that could pass. I'm voting YES.
#6 - Very important issue creating the Texas Water Fund. I'd vote YES twice if I could. Water is going to be the issue of the 21st century in Texas and elsewhere as well.
#7 - This one looks good on the surface but "qualifying projects" will disguise picking winners and losers based on politics. The Republican base has already said they want to subsidize natural gas and "clean coal". Our power grid is mismanaged by the State but this policy will hurt green energy, including solar and geothermal, in my opinion. I'm voting NO.
#8- Creates broadband infrastructure fund. The state recognizes that its rural areas are deficient and that is bad for the people that live in rural areas and also to the future economic survival of much of the State. I'm voting YES.
#9 - COLA for the retired teachers. I'm voting YES
#10 -Tax break for medical manufacturers. I don't have much of an opinion other than specific carve outs from taxes for certain commercial interests don't seem fair at face value. I'll be voting NO.
#11 - El Paso County specific bonds for districts. This is El Paso's specific item. I'll probably vote YES because I trust their leadership, but I may also abstain.
#12 - abolition of the office of County Treasurer in Galveston County. Now here's a governmental body that has not earned the privilege of being trusted. Aside from that, Treasurers are elected by their constituents and are thus held accountable by same. A Constitutional Amendment for this? I'll be voting NO
#13 - Raise mandatory retirement age for judges to 75 from 70. Generally I'm in favor of younger blood in any political office, but there's a shortage of judges. I'm not actually sure why unless it's a pay grade issue. I'd rather see them fix the supply problem than keep the same people in power forever. So I'll be voting NO.
#14- Creation of Centennial State Parks Fund to benefit State Parks. I'm in favor of this mechanism because I believe it will encourage donations to State Parks of land and money because the benefactors will know the assets they might donate would actually go to Parks and not be directed otherwise. Plus, our parks are overused because there is an undersupply of them. I'll vote YES.
It’s important to note that the State has an enormous “Rainy Day Fund” of excess revenues collected and not dispersed back to the citizens (or local governments, schools, emergency management, etc) and that none of these propositions will directly raise taxes. That’s not a reason to support any of them, necessarily, but it is something to consider.
Thanks, y'all- very few people vote in these elections so your vote is more powerful than usual. As a general rule most of these Constitutional Amendment propositions do tend to pass, so don't be surprised if they all wind up being part of our enormously long State Constitution. - David