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In our latest episode for Talking Purple we are covering the Texas Constitutional amendments for 2025 that are to be voted on. I also am covering CD18, Shelia Jackson Lee’s old district as well as this At Large Houston City Council Seat. Thanks to my friend Pat Morlan for helping me compile the list for today.
Proposition 1 – SJR 59: “The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the permanent technical institution infrastructure fund and the available workforce education fund to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System.”
Oppose: This amendment sets up a fund outside state budget and legislative oversight. Putting spending into the constitution, which creates ongoing expenditure without legislative control
Proposition 2 – SJR 18: “The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust.”
Support: Comment: This proposition prevents future legislatures from taxing capital gains, aligning with TTP’s principles of limited government and personal responsibility
Proposition 3 – SJR 5: “The constitutional amendment requiring the denial of bail under certain circumstances to people accused of violent crimes.
Support: Comment: This amendment would allow officials to deny bail under certain extraordinary circumstances by changing Article I, Section 11 of the State Constitution. Magistrates could deny bail to those accused of first-degree felony sexual offenses, violent offenses as defined in the Texas Constitution, or continuous trafficking of persons. The amendment aims to address concerns about public safety and the release of violent offenders.
Proposition 4 – HJR 7: The constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue
Oppose: Comment: This amendment allocates $1 billion per year from sales tax revenue to a water fund for infrastructure projects until at least 2035, with possible extension by the legislature. While water infrastructure is important, embedding this funding in the Constitution limits fiscal flexibility and accountability.
Proposition 5 – HJR 99: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held by the owner of the property for sale at retail.”
Support: Comment: We generally oppose amendments that grant additional exemptions from property taxes, because it puts an additional burden on the rest of the property taxpayers. This one is fairly benign, and it does not require exemption, but permits future legislation to implement it should they choose to do so.
Proposition 6 – HJR 4 “The constitutional amendment prohibiting the legislature from enacting a law imposing an occupation tax on certain entities that enter into transactions conveying securities or imposing a tax on certain securities transactions.”
Support: Comment: As with Proposition 2, this amendment binds future legislatures from imposing taxes on securities transactions or creating new occupation taxes on financial market operators.
Proposition 7 – HJR 133: “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 veteran who died as a result of a condition or disease that is presumed under federal law to have been service-connected.”
Support: No fiscal implication to the state is anticipated, other than the cost of publication. The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $191,689
Proposition 8 – HJR 2: “The constitutional amendment to prohibit the legislature from imposing death taxes applicable to a decedent’s property or the transfer of an estate, inheritance, legacy, succession, or gift.”
Support: Comment: This is another amendment that seeks to bind future legislatures from imposing an estate or inheritance tax.
Proposition 9 – HJR 1: “The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the market value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income.”
Support: Comment: This amendment authorizes businesses to exempt up to $250,000 of market value of income generating property (like equipment, tools, etc). The current exemption is $2,500. Consider it comparable to the homestead exemptions on homeowners’ primary residence.
Proposition 10 – SJR 84; “The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of the appraised value of an improvement to a residence homestead that is completely destroyed by a fire.”
Support: Comment: We support this “temporary” homestead exemption for fire damaged property. People who have lost everything in a fire. They should not be taxed on the full value of what they used to own but own no longer. This is one of those “compelling reasons” to have tax exemptions. We would love to see this for Flood victims as well, but they did not raise appraisal rates for two years after Harvey
Proposition 11 – SJR 85: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled.”
Neutral
Oppose: It is a carve out for a specific group of people elderly & Disabled and it will have a negative impact of $1.2T through the biennium.
Support: because the school tax and MUD taxes are the highest Taxes on your Tax bill even when frozen for age or reduced in the MUD cases for disabled and the elderly. It would be wonderful to eliminate property taxes but that will not happen anytime soon so why not do what we can to help those who need it the most.
Proposition 12 – SJR 27: “The constitutional amendment regarding the membership of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the membership of the tribunal to review the commission’s recommendations, and the authority of the commission, the tribunal, and the Texas Supreme Court to more effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct.”
Support: Comment: This amendment expands and restructures the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The changes seem to be positive in giving more public representation on the committee and enhancing ability to sanction judges.
Proposition 13 – SJR 2: “The constitutional amendment to increase the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district from $100,000 to $140,000.”
Support: Comment: Proposition 13 aims to provide property tax relief
Proposition 14 – SJR 3: “The constitutional amendment providing for the establishment of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund to provide money for research on and prevention and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and related disorders in this state, and transferring to that fund $3 billion from state general revenue.”
Oppose/ Support Texas is renowned for its cutting edge on Cancer research Dementia has affected just about every family in the world it is time the US steps up and starts to fight this disease why not TX be the place to do it. This is one of those personal issues you must make the choice on.
Proposition 15 – SJR 34: “The constitutional amendment affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children.”
Oppose (as unnecessary because this is a right already established by God)
Support: Prop 15 I wish we did not need this amendment, but we have seen the schools and the federal government strip parents of their parental rights over and over again this amendment is needed.
Proposition 16 – SJR 37: “The constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a United States citizen.”
Support: Comment: This amendment prevents cities and other political subdivisions from allowing non-citizens to vote (like we’ve seen in San Francisco, and other cities). We believe that only Texas citizens (and therefore US citizens) should vote in Texas elections, and we support this amendment to ensure that is the case for all Texans.
Proposition 17 – HJR 34:“The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the amount of the market value of real property located in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the installation or construction on the property of border security infrastructure and related improvements. “Support This is not a tax exemption, but exempts added border security infrastructure from property appraisal increases.
