2015 CONSTITUTIONAL

BALLOT GUIDE
Voting is our right, and one we must exercise with responsibility. Thats
why we have put together this simple yet informative voter guide about the
seven constitutional amendments on our 2015 statewide ballot.
Since the Texas Constitution was adopted in 1876, voters have authorized 484 separate constitutional
amendments. The last 10 amendments, in the 2013 and 2014 elections, passed with an average
support of 77%; however, that support only came from the 8-9% of registered voters that actually
showed up to the polls. Thats (sadly) about what youd expect from a state that ranks
so poorly in voter turnout.
But not you youre going to vote! So bring your ID to the polls, take this
voter guide with you, and show off that I Voted sticker to your friends, family and
co-workers. Remember that our voter ID laws are still in place: visit www.GotIDTexas.org
to make sure you have the right ID you need to vote.

Early Voting is
Oct. 19th to the 30th
Election Day is
Nov. 3rd
STATE PROP 3
Let certain statewide officials
live outside of Austin.

Vote no
STATE PROP 6
Creating the right to hunt,
fish, and harvest.

STATE PROP 1
Increasing the homestead property
tax exemption by $10,000.

Toss up
STATE PROP 4
Allow pro sports teams to host
specific charity raffles.

Vote Yes

STATE PROP 2
Property tax exemption for
spouses of disabled veterans.

Vote Yes
STATE PROP 5
Let small-population counties
build private roads.

Vote Yes

STATE PROP 7
Dedicate sales tax dollars to
road construction.

Vote no

ANALYSIS
CONTINUED
ON NEXT
PAGE

PT

2015 BALLOT GUIDE

Detailed proposition information

PROPOSITION 1: TOSS UP

PROPOSITION 2: YES

Text: The constitutional amendment increasing the

amount of the residence homestead exemption
from ad valorem taxation for public school
purposes from $15,000 to $25,000, providing for
a reduction of the limitation on the total amount
of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for
those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or
disabled person to reflect the increased exemption
amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit a
political subdivision that has adopted an optional
residence homestead exemption from ad valorem
taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing
the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of
a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction
that conveys fee simple title to real property.

Text: The constitutional amendment authorizing

the legislature to provide for an exemption from
ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market
value of the residence homestead of the surviving
spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled
veteran who died before the law authorizing a
residence homestead exemption for such a
veteran took effect.

On one hand, increasing the homestead exemption

is one of the fairest ways to cut taxes. Indeed,
Texas Democrats have called for an increase in the
homestead exemption for more than a decade so its
easy to see this GOP-led initiative as merely a longdelayed realization of a good idea progressives had
a long time ago. Homeowners appreciate any relief
from property taxes, even if that relief does nothing
more than slow down rising rates, and cutting taxes for
homeowners is certainly more equitable than giving tax
cuts exclusively to big corporations.
On the other hand, the cost of this tax cut is significant.
Theres no long-term plan for how Texas will pay back
the estimated $1.2 billion in lost money for schools;
surplus funds will cover the cost in the short-run, but
what happens if we dont collect as much money as we
project? Relying on court-imposed changes of Texas
school finance system is a risky maneuver. At a time
when our state budget has yet to catch up from the
devastating cuts of 2011, prioritizing tax cuts for some
(renters wont benefit from this tax cut) over investing
in community-wide improvements in health care or
education can reasonably be considered irresponsible.
Our staff is split on this issue. Rather than tell you how
to vote, we encourage you to make a decision that best
reflects the needs of you and your family.

In 2011, we recommended and Texas voters approved

a constitutional amendment that allows surviving
spouses of disabled veterans to be exempt from
property taxes on the current value of their home.
That proposition was forward-looking; Prop 2 would
extend this to spouses who would have qualified for
the exemption if it had been available to them prior to
2011. Prop 2 would only apply to approximately 3,800
surviving spouses of totally disabled veterans, with a
minimal impact to the state budget.
This exemption only applies to spouses of disabled
veterans that remain in the residence of the surviving
spouse, and is only granted if the spouse has not
remarried. Additionally, legislation passed by the
Legislature would ensure there is no disproportionate
impact on any one community or school district that
may have a uniquely large number of people eligible
for this tax break within the community.

PROPOSITION 3: NO
Text: The constitutional amendment repealing the
requirement that state officers elected by voters
statewide reside in the state capitol.
Prop 3 would permit the Texas Agriculture
Commissioner, Land Commissioner, Comptroller,
Attorney General, and Railroad Commissioners to live
outside of Austin. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
and statewide court officials would still be required to
live in the capitol city.
This amendment was originally conceived as a way for
Texas GOP elected officials to escape prosecution from

PAGE 2

CONTINUED
ON NEXT
PAGE

2015 BALLOT GUIDE

Detailed proposition information

corruption charges here in Travis County. So

when Attorney General Ken Paxton is indicted for
violating securities law as he is right now he
could claim residence in a county with a friendlier,
Republican-leaning district attorney. A different law
passed that allows Paxton and his GOP colleagues to
live elsewhere, making the Republicans initial purpose
of this amendment unnecessary but theres still no
reason to enshrine a bad idea into the constitution.
Some say that technology allows officials to do more
telecommuting from work, and/or that conservative
Republicans should not be forced to live in a
progressive city like Austin. But what happens
when a Comptroller decides to telecommute for a
critical meeting in Austin and the internet goes down?
What happens when the Attorney General ends up
three hours late to a critical public hearing because
the interstate from Dallas to Austin is shut down?
State government officials should be required to
work where the seat of government is. If they dont
like how progressive Austin is, they should live here
and try to change it not change the Constitution to
accommodate their personal political preferences.

If passed, ten Texas teams could host the raffles:

the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers (baseball);
the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and San
Antonio Spurs (basketball); the Dallas Cowboys and
Houston Texans (football); the Dallas Stars (hockey);
and the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas (soccer). The
accompanying legislation for this amendment prevents
these teams from profiting from the raffle, and ensures
that only teams that existed for three years prior to the
law going into effect may participate.
At first, we were hesitant to recommend the expansion
of a raffle system that utilizes a charitable cause to
improve branding for sports franchises, some of which
are valued at over a billion dollars. However, after
reviewing the safeguards in the law and considering
the fact that charity raffles are merely optional to fans
attending games anyway, we believe the potential value
of funds that could go to community-focused programs
outweighed our concerns. Prop 4 is an easy way to
let communities support those in need, and we hope
similar provisions are considered for organizations
other than professional sports teams in the future.

PROPOSITION 5: YES
Text: The constitutional amendment to
authorize counties with a population of 7,500
or less to perform private road construction
and maintenance.

PROPOSITION 4: YES
Text: The constitutional amendment authorizing
the legislature to permit professional sports
team charitable foundations to conduct
charitable raffles.
Prop 4 allows Texas professional sports teams to host
what is known as a 50/50 raffle at their home games.
These are raffles where contestants (who must be
present at the game) can enter to win cash prizes. The
payouts are then split 50/50 with the contestant winner
and a charity of the organizations choice typically
a youth, education, or community program affiliated
with the professional sports team. Since this could be
considered gambling, a constitutional amendment is
required to allow teams to participate in such raffles.

In 1980, Texas adopted a constitutional amendment

that allowed counties with a population of 5,000 or less
to build and maintain private roads because it is often
difficult for them to find private contractors to do the
work. This simply bumps up that population threshold
to 7,500, impacting approximately 20 counties in Texas
including one county that mostly grew in population
because of a new prison. This amendment is a simple
fix that lets counties keep their roads safe.

PAGE 3

CONTINUED
ON NEXT
PAGE

2015 BALLOT GUIDE

Detailed proposition information

PROPOSITION 6:

Prop 7 is an end-run attempt by lawmakers to pay

more for roads without having to close any tax
loopholes. Or as the Houston Chronicle put it, This Rube
Goldberg constitutional contraption is the outgrowth of
lawmakers unwilling to raise the gas tax or user fees to
pay for the states transportation needs.

Text: The constitutional amendment recognizing

the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest
wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife
conservation.
There is no threat to hunting, fishing, or harvesting
wildlife in Texas, and the people who suggest
conservation efforts are limiting any of those outdoor
activities are probably the same ones who thought Jade
Helm was a U.S. military invasion of Texas. Conspiracies
aside, there is no negative consequence if this
amendment passes. Then again, there is no need for
it to pass, either, since it changes absolutely nothing.
We recommend skipping it entirely. Or voting for it
passionately. Whatever. Theres literally no way you
could screw this one up.
Also, that shrug symbol above that you may have seen
on Facebook is called an awl. Learning that random
piece of information is probably more valuable to your
life than this amendment will be to anyone in Texas.

This amendment constitutionally dedicates up to

$5 billion in state tax dollars to transportation. The
guaranteed appropriation would be in place until 2032,
could be temporarily ratcheted back with a 2/3 vote of
lawmakers, and can be extended in 10-year increments
with a majority vote of legislators.
We dont believe in rewarding cowardice, and thats
exactly what Prop 7 is: a cowards attempt to get
permission from Texas voters so legislators can forego
real funding solutions for our states infrastructure.
Prop 7 prioritizes our roads above our schools and
health systems, and further limits the amount of
discretionary revenue the Texas Legislature may
access for other important budget items. We strongly
recommend a no vote on Prop 7.

PROPOSITION 7: NO
Text: The constitutional amendment dedicating
certain sales and use tax revenue and motor
vehicle sales, use, and rental tax revenue to the
state highway fund to provide funding for nontolled
roads and the reduction of certain transportationrelated debt.
Just like Texas public schools and health care systems,
Texas roads are chronically underfunded. The reason
is that Republican state officials are unwilling to close
egregious tax loopholes for big corporations in order
to invest in the infrastructure the people of Texas
deserve. One analysis by the New York Times found that
Texas allows $19 billion in tax exemptions every year.
With that kind of tax system, its no wonder we struggle
paying for better schools, hospitals, and roads.

GOT ID TEXAS?
Voting is our right. Make sure you
have what you need to vote.

PAGE 4

www.GotIDTexas.org

PT