On Tuesday, November 4th, Texans will once again have the opportunity to shape the future of our state and community. This year’s ballot includes 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, along with local bond elections for Parker County and several school districts. These decisions will directly impact property taxes, parental rights, education, public safety, and infrastructure.
Our goal as the Parker County Republican Party is to ensure that every voter is informed and prepared before heading to the polls. Below you’ll find a summary of each constitutional amendment and key local propositions appearing on the ballot. Please take some time to review the amendments, visit the websites to see information regarding the bond packages, and talk to your county or ISD representatives about them.
Parker County Justice Bond
Proposition A – County Jail Expansion
Authorizes about $104.7 million to expand the Parker County Jail with 336 new beds and future capacity for more. The county currently pays other counties to house inmates due to overcrowding.
Proposition B – New Justice Center
Authorizes $181.6 million for a new Justice Center to consolidate courts, improve safety, and replace outdated facilities.
The county has approved selling older buildings to offset costs.
More information is available at parkercountyjusticebond.com.
Local School & District Elections
Weatherford ISD: The propositions include funding for the following:
- Proposition A: New facilities, including renovations to the Ninth Grade Center and a new Career and Technology Education (CTE) Center ($68.6 million).
- Proposition B: Renovations and improvements to existing facilities, including safety and security upgrades and system replacements ($79.1 million).
- Proposition C: Renovations to Crockett Elementary, an employee childcare center, and expansion of the high school’s agricultural barn ($41.4 million).
For more information visit: https://www.weatherfordisd.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4448973&type=d&pREC_ID=2696504
Perrin-Whitt CISD: The proposition is for the issuance of $28.22 million school building bonds for the construction, acquisition, renovation, improvement and equipment of school buildings in the District.
For more information visit: https://www.perrinwhittcisdbond.com/
17 Amendments to the Texas State Constitution:
Proposition 1 (SJR 59)
Ballot wording (summary): Create a permanent technical institution infrastructure fund and an available workforce education fund to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College system.
What it would change:
- Establishes two new funds: a permanent infrastructure fund (the principal) and an available workforce education fund (funds derived from earnings).
- Seed money (a one-time appropriation) is provided to start the fund structure.
- Future capital support for Texas State Technical College would be drawn from these funds rather than from the general appropriations process.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Provides stable, dedicated funding for technical education and workforce training; improves TSTC’s ability to build and maintain facilities and equipment.
- Against: Locks a significant amount of resources into a constitutionally dedicated fund and limits legislative flexibility in future budgeting. Concern about oversight and long-term commitment of general revenue.
Proposition 2 (SJR 18)
Ballot wording (summary): Prohibit the imposition of a tax on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust.
What it would change:
- Adds a constitutional prohibition on state taxation of realized or unrealized capital gains for individuals, families, estates, and trusts.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Protects Texan taxpayers from a future state-level capital gains tax and reinforces Texas’s low-tax stance.
- Against: Largely symbolic because Texas currently does not tax capital gains; it reduces future fiscal flexibility and could limit options in times of revenue stress.
Proposition 3 (SJR 5)
Ballot wording (summary): Require the denial of bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain felony offenses.
What it would change:
- Authorizes judges to deny bail in a defined set of serious felony cases if the state meets specified standards (e.g., clear and convincing evidence that the defendant poses a danger or flight risk).
- Requires a hearing and a written judicial order explaining the reasons for denial.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Intended to enhance public safety by allowing courts to detain violent or dangerous defendants pending trial rather than releasing them on bail.
- Against: Raises concerns about increased pretrial detention, potential disproportionate impact on indigent or minority defendants, strain on jail capacity, and erosion of the presumption of innocence.
Proposition 4 (HJR 7)
Ballot wording (summary): Dedicate a portion of revenue from state sales and use taxes to a Texas Water Fund and provide for allocation and use of that revenue.
What it would change:
- Dedicates a portion of state sales and use tax revenue to a statewide water infrastructure fund to finance water projects, wastewater systems, and related needs.
- Specifies allocation rules and program structure in the constitutional amendment; implementing details would be set by statute.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Provides a stable funding stream for critical water infrastructure in a state with growing water needs; helps local projects finance repairs and expansions.
- Against: Earmarking sales tax revenue reduces budgetary flexibility and can constrain the state’s ability to respond to other priorities if revenues decline.
Proposition 5 (HJR 99)
Ballot wording (summary): Authorize the Legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held for retail sale.
What it would change:
- Gives the Legislature the authority to exempt certain animal feed inventory held for resale from property taxation. The exemption itself would require implementing legislation.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Helps agricultural businesses and retailers by removing a tax burden on inventory that is purchased for resale; potentially lowers operating costs for ranchers and farmers.
- Against: Reduces the local property tax base; loss of revenue to local taxing entities may need offsetting state reimbursements or could reduce local services.
Proposition 6 (HJR 4)
Ballot wording (summary): Prohibit the Legislature from imposing an occupation tax on entities that enter into certain securities transactions or a tax on specified securities transactions.
What it would change:
- Adds a constitutional bar against the Legislature enacting occupation taxes or transaction taxes specifically targeted at securities transactions or entities involved in securities trading.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Protects financial markets and investors from future targeted taxation, supporting a pro-business environment.
- Against: Again largely precautionary because such taxes are not currently imposed; it reduces options for future revenue generation and could be seen as unnecessary preemption.
Proposition 7 (HJR 133)
Ballot wording (summary): Authorize the Legislature to exempt all or part of the residence homestead of a surviving spouse of a veteran who died from a service-connected condition, provided the spouse has not remarried.
What it would change:
- Allows the Legislature to enact a homestead exemption for surviving spouses of veterans whose deaths are service-connected. It authorizes legislative action but does not itself grant the exemption directly.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Provides meaningful property tax relief to surviving spouses of veterans; seen as an act of honor and support for military families.
- Against: Fiscal impact is limited but cumulative with other exemptions; requires implementing legislation.
Proposition 8 (HJR 2)
Ballot wording (summary): Prohibit the Legislature from imposing death, succession, or inheritance taxes.
What it would change:
- Constitutionally bars the imposition of estate, inheritance, succession, or similar “death” taxes by the state.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Ensures that Texans will not be subject to state-level estate or inheritance taxes in the future; protects family wealth transfers.
- Against: Redundant in light of current law; reduces future fiscal policy options and flexibility.
Proposition 9 (HJR 1)
Ballot wording (summary): Authorize the Legislature to exempt a portion of the market value of tangible personal property held or used to produce income from ad valorem taxation.
What it would change:
- Gives the Legislature authority to partially exempt business personal property (equipment, machinery, business furniture, etc.) from property taxes. The Legislature would decide scope and amount.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Provides tax relief to businesses, encouraging investment and reducing costs on capital-intensive operations.
- Against: Could materially reduce taxable bases for local governments and school districts, potentially requiring replacement revenue or service cuts.
Proposition 10 (SJR 84)
Ballot wording (summary): Authorize the Legislature to provide a temporary ad valorem tax exemption for property completely destroyed by a catastrophic event.
What it would change:
- Enables the Legislature to provide a temporary property tax exemption (for a specific period) for property that has been totally destroyed by catastrophic events (such as a major fire), thereby reducing tax burden while owners rebuild.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Offers compassionate, short-term relief to homeowners who suffer total losses and eases financial strain during reconstruction.
- Against: May reduce local revenues in disaster areas and creates administrative complexity for appraisal districts to determine eligibility and duration.
Proposition 11 (SJR 85)
Ballot wording (summary): Increase the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district for persons 65 or older or disabled.
What it would change:
- Raises the specific school district homestead exemption amount available to homeowners age 65+ or disabled (from current law’s lower amount to a substantially higher amount), thereby reducing school property tax obligations for qualifying homeowners.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Provides significant tax relief to seniors and disabled residents on fixed incomes.
- Against: Reduces school district revenue and may require adjustments in state funding or services; cumulative effect of many exemptions is a fiscal concern.
Proposition 12 (SJR 27)
Ballot wording (summary): Change membership and related requirements for the State Commission on Judicial Conduct and authorize the Legislature to provide for additional qualifications for commission membership.
What it would change:
- Alters the constitutional description of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct: membership numbers, qualifications, appointment process, or related procedural rules, and authorizes the Legislature to set further qualifications.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Purportedly improves oversight of the judiciary, ensures appropriate qualifications for commission members, and promotes accountability.
- Against: Risk of politicizing judicial discipline processes, potential curtailment of judicial independence, and shifting of appointment powers with political implications.
Proposition 13 (SJR 2)
Ballot wording (summary): Increase the general residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district (increase mandatory exemption amount).
What it would change:
- Raises the mandatory general homestead exemption applied by school districts (increasing the dollar amount of a home’s value that is exempt from school property taxes).
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Reduces school property tax burden for all qualifying homeowners and provides broad property tax relief.
- Against: Reduces revenue for school districts and could require state-level adjustments or other revenue measures to preserve school funding.
Proposition 14 (SJR 3)
Ballot wording (summary): Establish the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, create the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund, and transfer $3 billion in general revenue to that fund for research, prevention, and treatment programs.
What it would change:
- Creates a new state institute and a dedicated fund for dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and related disorder research and prevention.
- Transfers a one-time or defined large sum (e.g., $3 billion) from general revenue into the new fund as seed money to support grants and programs.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Targets a growing public health need with substantial funding; modeled on prior disease-focused state research institutes that funded successful programs and attracted research investment.
- Against: Questions about oversight, governance, accountability, grant criteria, and whether the constitution is the proper place to dedicate such a large, specific appropriation. Concerns about long-term costs and opportunity costs for other priorities.
Proposition 15 (SJR 34)
Ballot wording (summary): Affirm that parents have the fundamental right to make decisions regarding the upbringing, education, and care of their children.
What it would change:
- Adds declarative constitutional language affirming parental rights as fundamental, specifying that parents have authority to make decisions about education, upbringing, and care.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Supporters say it enshrines parental authority and protects families from government overreach into child-rearing and educational choices.
- Against: Critics argue the amendment’s language is vague and could create conflicts with existing child-welfare laws, or complicate responses to abuse and neglect; some see it as symbolic rather than substantively necessary.
Proposition 16 (SJR 37)
Ballot wording (summary): Clarify in the constitution that a person must be a United States citizen to be eligible to vote in Texas.
What it would change:
- Explicitly states in the state constitution that only U.S. citizens may vote in Texas elections.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Seen as reinforcing election integrity and removing ambiguity.
- Against: Largely redundant because federal law and existing state statutes already require citizenship to vote; critics characterize it as symbolic.
Proposition 17 (HJR 34)
Ballot wording (summary): Authorize the Legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the increase in the market value of real property in border counties resulting from the installation or construction of border security infrastructure and related improvements.
What it would change:
- Allows the Legislature to exempt the value that border security infrastructure adds to private property in border counties from property taxes — effectively excluding the value increase caused by construction of border security improvements.
Arguments / considerations:
- For: Encourages private participation in border infrastructure projects and gives local flexibility in border counties; reduces added tax burdens tied to security installations.
- Against: Only applies to border counties, raising questions of equity; could reduce local tax revenues in affected counties and incentivize private construction of infrastructure with uncertain oversight.