NOTE: this page is for your convenience only, and is not an official State of Texas ballot page. Here is the official State-provided election information.


Prop. 1

HJR 44 – HJR 44 proposes a constitutional amendment that would ensure a clear succession in event of vacancies in the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Specifically, the amendment would provide that if after qualifying for the office, the Governor is temporarily unable to serve, the Lieutenant Governor shall act as Governor until the Governor is able to serve; but if the Governor is permanently unable to serve, the Lieutenant Governor shall become the Governor for the remainder of the unexpired term. The amendment would require a Lieutenant Governor who becomes Governor to forfeit the office of Lieutenant Governor. The amendment would also provide similar succession procedures when a vacancy occurs in the office of Governor before the newly elected Governor qualifies for office, and when the newly elected Governor is temporarily unable to take office. The amendment also would provide that if there is a temporary vacancy in the office of Lieutenant Governor, the President pro tempore of the Senate will fill the position; but if there is a permanent vacancy in the office of Lieutenant Governor, the President pro tempore of the Senate shall serve as Lieutenant Governor only until such time as the whole senate can convene to elect one of its members to perform the duties of Lieutenant Governor. Finally, the amendment would provide that if the Lieutenant Governor, while temporarily exercising the powers of the Governor, becomes temporarily disabled or unable to serve, the President pro tempore of the senate shall exercise the powers and authority of the office of the Governor until such time as the Governor or Lieutenant Governor reassumes those powers and duties.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to revise the provisions for the filling of a vacancy in the office of governor or lieutenant governor."


Prop. 2

SJR 12 – SJR 12 proposes a constitutional amendment that would resolve conflicts between the Texas Constitution and federal law relating to the definition, rules, and procedures of reverse mortgages. The amendment would define "reverse mortgage" in part as an extension of credit made against the homestead of a person who is 62 years or older, or whose spouse is 62 years or older. It would expand the list of circumstances under which payment of principal and interest become due and the procedures involved in foreclosure, and would require certain advances to be made according to specific terms in loan documents, including advances by the lender, on behalf of the borrower for payments necessary to protect the lender’s interest. Finally, the amendment would require the Texas Supreme Court to promulgate rules of civil procedure expediting court-ordered foreclosures of reverse mortgage liens.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment relating to the making of advances under a reverse mortgage and payment of a reverse mortgage."


Prop. 3

HJR 62 – HJR 62 proposes a constitutional amendment that would simplify and clarify the language of the Texas Constitution. The amendment would make no substantive changes, but would eliminate duplicative, expired, out-of-date, and ineffective terms.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to eliminate duplicative, executed, obsolete, archaic, and ineffective provisions of the Texas Constitution."


Prop. 4

HJR 4 – HJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment that would broaden the definition of charitable organizations. The amendment would exempt from ad valorem taxation the property of any organization engaged primarily in public charitable functions, and it would allow such an organization to conduct additional activities to support its charitable functions.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt property owned by institutions engaged primarily in public charitable functions from ad valorem taxation."


Prop. 5

SJR 26 – SJR 26 proposes an amendment that would remove the restriction prohibiting state employees who receive all or part of their compensation from the state from serving as members of a governing body of a school district, city, town, or other local governmental district unless the state employee receives no salary for such service. The amendment would allow state employees to receive compensation from the governing bodies of which they are members.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment allowing state employees to receive compensation for serving as a member of a governing body of a school district, city, town, or other local governmental district."


Prop. 6

SJR 22 – SJR 22 proposes a constitutional amendment that would increase the maximum size of an urban homestead, which is a homestead in a city, town, or village, from one acre to ten acres and require the urban homestead to be composed of either a single lot or several lots that are adjacent to one another. The amendment also would provide that the urban homestead must be used as a home or as both a home and place of business, whereas current law does not require that an urban homestead that is used as a place of business be used also as a home.

Current law further allows a person to secure a home equity loan on their homestead, provided that the loan does not overburden the homestead. That is, the principal amount of the home equity loan, when added to the total of the outstanding principal balances of all other indebtedness secured against the homestead, does not exceed 80 percent of the fair market value of the homestead on the date the extension of credit is made. The proposed amendment would clarify current law by specifically allowing home equity loans on all or part of urban homesteads of up to ten acres and subject such loans to the same requirement that the refinanced or new loan not overburden the homestead.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment increasing the maximum size of an urban homestead to 10 acres, prescribing permissible uses of urban homesteads, and preventing the overburdening of a homestead."


Prop. 7

HJR 16 – HJR 16 proposes a constitutional amendment that would provide that if an employee is delinquent in paying court-ordered spousal maintenance, a portion of that employee’s wages may be withheld to pay the spousal maintenance. Current law allows such withholding, or garnishment, only for payment of delinquent court-ordered child support.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment authorizing garnishment of wages for the enforcement of court-ordered spousal maintenance."


Prop. 8

HJR 95 – HJR 95 proposes a constitutional amendment that would provide that the adjutant general, who is appointed by the Governor and who serves as the governing officer of the state military forces, serves as long as the Governor wishes the appointed person to serve in that capacity rather than serving a specific two-year term set by the legislature.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to provide that the adjutant general serves at the pleasure of the governor."


Prop. 9

SJR 10 – SJR 10 proposes a constitutional amendment that would authorize the legislature to create a judicial compensation committee to make recommendations for salaries for the justices and judges of the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Courts of Appeals, and the District Courts. The amendment would mandate that the recommendations become law if neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives rejects them by majority vote.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to create a judicial compensation commission."


Prop. 10

HJR 74 – HJR 74 proposes a constitutional amendment that would provide that the commissioner of health and human services, who is appointed by the Governor, serves as long as the Governor wishes the appointed person to serve in that capacity rather than serving a specific two-year term set by the legislature.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to provide that the commissioner of health and human services serves at the pleasure of the governor."


Prop. 11

HJR 69 – HJR 69 proposes a constitutional amendment that would authorize a county, city, town, or other political subdivision to spend public funds or extend credit to purchase nonassessable property or casualty insurance from a mutual insurance company authorized to do business in Texas. Under current law, a political subdivision is generally prohibited from spending public funds or extending credit to become a stockholder in a corporation but is permitted to purchase nonassessable life, health or accident insurance policies from a mutual insurance company authorized to do business in Texas. This amendment would authorize a political subdivision to also obtain non-assessable property and casualty insurance from such a company.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment permitting a political subdivision to purchase nonassessable property and casualty insurance from an authorized mutual insurance company in the same manner that the political subdivision purchases life, health, and accident insurance."


Prop. 12

SJR 21 – SJR 21 proposes a constitutional amendment that would exempt from ad valorem taxation a leased motor vehicle that is not used by the lessee primarily to produce income. The amendment would provide that the legislature also may limit the ability of a political subdivision to subject such a vehicle to taxation.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation leased motor vehicles not held by the lessee primarily to produce income."


Prop. 13

SJR 16 – SJR 16 proposes a constitutional amendment that would authorize the legislature to allow the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue and sell general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $400 million in order to finance educational loans to students. The amendment also would authorize the Legislature to limit the amount of interest the bonds can bear and establish procedures for the investment of the bond proceeds. The proposed amendment would specify the method of repaying the bonds.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of $400 million in general obligation bonds to finance educational loans to students."


Prop. 14

HJR 29 – HJR 29 proposes a constitutional amendment which would authorize the Legislature to require the board of regents of the state university and boards of trustees or managers of the educational, charitable, and penal institutions of the state, whose members serve six year terms, to be composed of an odd number of three or more board members (for example, 5, 7, or 9 members). The proposed amendment would allow approximately one-third of members of boards whose membership is not evenly divisible by three to be elected or appointed every two years. The amendment also would allow the Legislature to set the composition of constitutionally required boards, whose members serve for a term of six years, to a number divisible by three so that exactly one-third of the board members may be elected or appointed every two years.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide that a state board, commission, or other agency shall be governed by a board composed of an odd number of three or more members."


Prop. 15

HJR 36 – HJR 36 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow spouses, by an agreement in writing, to convert all or part of their separate property into community property. Separate property is primarily the property owned or claimed by the spouse before marriage and the property acquired by the spouse during the marriage by gift or inheritance. Community property consists of the property, other than separate property, acquired by either spouse during marriage.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment permitting spouses to agree to convert separate property to community property."


Prop. 16

HJR 71 – HJR 71 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow a county with a population of 50,000 or more, rather than 30,000 or more, to be divided into four to eight justice of the peace and constable precincts. The amendment also would allow a county with a population between 18,000 and 50,000 to have two to eight justice of the peace and constable precincts, rather than the current maximum of five precincts. Furthermore, the amendment would limit Randall County to not less than two and not more than six precincts. Finally, the amendment would set a minimum of four precincts for any county that as of November 2, 1999, is divided into four or more precincts.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment to provide that certain counties shall be divided into a specific number of precincts."


Prop. 17

HJR 58 – HJR 58 proposes a constitutional amendment which would require the board of regents of the University of Texas System to manage investments of the permanent university fund (PUF) according to the standards of a prudent investor. Generally, earnings from the PUF are distributed to the available university fund (AUF) and then ultimately distributed to the public university systems of Texas. Under the amendment, the amount distributed to the AUF would consist of distributions, as determined by the University of Texas System board of regents, from the total return on all investment assets of the PUF, instead of consisting only of the dividends, interest, and other income of the PUF minus administrative expenses. The amendment also would provide guidelines for minimum and maximum amounts to be distributed to the AUF, and require that the board of regents manage distributions to the AUF in a manner that will provide the AUF with a stable and predictable stream of annual distributions and maintain the purchasing power of the PUF investments and annual distributions to the AUF.

 

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows: "The constitutional amendment relating to the investment of the permanent university fund and the distribution from the permanent university fund to the available university fund."