Texas Constitutional Amendments Election: Proposition 1 Rejected

Unofficial results from Texas' statewide constitutional amendments election — where voters considered 10 proposed amendments to the state constitution that related to topics like taxation, flood preparation and law enforcement animals — showed that voters supported nearly all the proposed changes to the constitution.

The amendments were on the ballot Tuesday as several bills passed by the 86th Texas Legislature required changes to be made to the state constitution. The proposals need to be approved by a majority of voters statewide in order to go into effect.

According to unofficial results from the Texas Secretary of State's website, voters appeared to favor all but one of the proposals on Tuesday's ballots. Proposition 1, which has to do with elected municipal judges being allowed to hold more than one office, is not favorable among voters, the unofficial vote tallies show. According to the Secretary of State's website, all 254 counties in Texas had reported results.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared victory in the passage of Proposition 4, which prohibits the imposition of an individual income tax.

On the ballot Tuesday, were the following 10 amendments:

Proposition 1: "The constitutional amendment permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time."

Current state law allows an appointed municipal judge to hold office in another city but the same is now allowed of elected municipal judges. Supporters of the proposition say the lack of municipal judges in smaller communities impeded their ability to deal with cases like ordinance violations, domestic cases and can impact public safety.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 34.56 percent

No: 65.44 percent

Proposition 2: "The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas."

The amendment would allow the Texas Water Development Board to provide funding in the form of bonds that don't exceed $200 million to eligible particiapants in the Economically Distressed Areas Program. The program provides financial assistance for water and wastewater projects in areas where the services are inadequate or the systems don't meet minimum state standards.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 65.62 percent

No: 34.38 percent

Proposition 3: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster."

The amendment would allow the legislature to create temporary property tax exemptions in places that have been declared a disaster area by the governor. The duration of the exemption and any additional eligibility requirements would be determined by the legislature.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 85.09 percent

No: 14.91 percent

Proposition 4: "The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual's share of partnership and unincorporated association income."

There is currently no income tax in Texas but the constitution does allow the legislature to impose an income tax if approved in a statewide referendum. The amendment would further limit the legislature's ability in being able to do so.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 74.41 percent

No: 25.59 percent

Proposition 5: "The constitutional amendment dedicating the revenue received from the existing state sales and use taxes that are imposed on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas' natural areas, water quality, and history by acquiring, managing,and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes."

Sales tax from sporting goods would automatically be appropriated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission. The legislature would have the power to decide how the funds would be used and how they would be allocated.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 88 percent

No: 12 percent

Proposition 6: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas."

The amendment would increase the maximum amount of bonds the Texas Public Finance Authority can provide, issue and sell on behalf of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas from $3 billion to $6 billion.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 64 percent

No: 36 percent

Proposition 7:"The constitutional amendment allowing increase distributions to the available school fund."

The amendment would increase from $300 million to $600 million the amount that the General Land Office, the State Board of Education or any other entity can distribute to the Available School Fund.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 74.12 percent

No: 25.88 percent

Proposition 8: "The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects."

The amendment would create a special flood infrastructure fund outside the general revenue fund. Money from the fund would be used to finance drainage, flood mitigation or flood control projects.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 77.83 percent

No: 22.17 percent

Proposition 9:"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state."

The amendment would allow the legislature to exempt precious metal held in depositories in the state from from property taxes.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 51.6 percent

No: 48.4 percent

Proposition 10: "The constitutional amendment to allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances."

Law enforcement animals like K9s are auctioned off or donated but the amendment would allow retiring animals to be transferred to their handler or another qualified caretaker. Animals could also be transfered to their handlers or another qualified caretaker if it's in the animal's best interest.

Unofficial vote totals:

Yes: 93.75 percent

No: 6.25 percent