The Chronicle and I agree on how one should vote, except for 12 and 15. I left 15 blank, as I couldn’t make up my mind on that. You can read the Chronicle’s reasoning for their perspective. I will vote for 15, as we don’t have anything written in stone regarding our parental rights. What we have now is case law that outlines the rights parents have. Future court cases could change parental rights. I believe that what people who are against want to prevent is that in the future, a minor child could be given the right to decide what to do with her body, i.e., have a baby instead of the minor deciding to abort the child. It could also be about Trans children and operations. That is what I believe, but I have not asked anyone who is against it for their reasoning. The Democrats in Harris County are recommending that we vote against it. Changing the Texas Constitution is relatively easy if and when Democrats control all parts of the state government; they can have voters change what they dislike.
12, you can read why the Houston Chronicle is against it. In the last election cycle, there were a few judges who had no business being in their positions, and yet a few of them got re-elected. Judges don’t always follow the law, and those who do not should not be sitting on the bench, which includes Texas Supreme Court Justices. Will voting for it remove those judges? I can hope.
Houston Chronicle Recommendations – #4 is a yes recommendation by the Chronicle
My recommendations, below;
Senator Boris Miles’ Recommendations
| State of Texas PropositionsProposition 1 – VOTE YESTexas State Technical College FundingProposition 1 allocates $850 million to Texas State Technical Colleges to build and upgrade classrooms, labs, and equipment. |
| Proposition 2 – VOTE NOCapital Gains Tax BanProposition 2 bans future taxes on money from selling homes, land, or stocks – cutting off a potential revenue stream that would need to be made up with sales and property taxes. |
| Proposition 3 – LEAN YESBail ReformProposition 3 allows judges to deny bail for serious crimes, like capital murder, if the accused might harm others or flee. It would keep the people accused of the worst offenses off the streets. Proposition 4 – VOTE YESWater Infrastructure FundingProposition 4 allocates up to $1 billion annually in sales tax revenue to build and repair water systems. This will help Texas build and fix water systems so we don’t run out of clean water. Proposition 5 – VOTE YESTax Exemption on Animal FeedProposition 5 extends tax exemptions on animal feed sold in stores. This bill protects farmers by lowering supply-chain costs. Proposition 6 – VOTE YESSecurities Tax BanProposition 6 would prevent the state from creating new taxes on securities transactions, such as stock trading, and from taxing those who operate or work in the securities market, including financial institutions, brokers, and dealers. If a family decides to put money in the stock market to create generational wealth, they shouldn’t lose a piece of it to every trade. This will also keep Texas friendly for investors and could bring more businesses and jobs to the community. Proposition 7 – VOTE YESTax Exemption for Veterans’ SpousesProposition 7 lets surviving spouses of veterans who died from service-related illness keep property tax breaks. Proposition 8 – VOTE YESInheritance Tax BanProposition 8 aims to prevent lawmakers from imposing a tax on an estate or on the transfer of an estate or inheritance. This would protect families of color from losing their homes and inheritance in the future. It would also allow them to inherit without new taxes. Proposition 9 – VOTE YESInventory and Equipment Tax ExemptionProposition 9 would provide small businesses with an exemption on property taxes on up to $125,000 of equipment. This will help small businesses save money and ease tax burdens, enabling them to grow. Proposition 10 – VOTE YESProperty Tax Exemption for Homes Destroyed by FireProposition 10 waives property taxes on homes destroyed by fire until they’re rebuilt. This will help people whose homes have been destroyed by fire rebuild without a tax burden. Proposition 11 – VOTE YESSchool Tax Exemption for the Elderly or Disabled HomeownersProposition 11 raises the school tax exemption for elderly and disabled Texans from $10,000 to $60,000. This will help seniors and people with disabilities on a fixed income stay in their homes. |
| Proposition 12 – VOTE NOChanging the State Judicial Conduct CommissionProposition 12 expands the Judicial Conduct Commission and increases its disciplinary powers. This will also give the Governor more power to attack judges he disagrees with, and could make the system more political if the governor nominates more members. |
| Proposition 13 – VOTE YESIncreasing School Tax Exemption for HomeownersProposition 13 increases the school tax exemption for all homeowners from $100,000 to $140,000. This will help lessen the effects of constantly rising property taxes and keep people in their homes. Proposition 14 – VOTE YESFunding for Dementia Research and PreventionProposition 14 creates a $3 billion Texas institute to study dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. This will fund research to find a cure for dementia and help families. Proposition 15 – VOTE YESCodifying Parental RightsProposition 15 adds parental rights to the constitution, affirming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children. This protects parents’ rights to care for and make decisions for their kids. Proposition 16 – LEAN YESClarifying Citizenship Requirement for VotersProposition 16 states that only US citizens can vote. This already exists in current law and this proposition enshrines it in the constitution |
| Proposition 17 – VOTE NOProperty Tax Exemption for Border Security InfrastructureProposition 17 provides a tax exemption to border property owners who build border security structures. This has already been paid for once by the government to install this infrastructure. We should not be incentivizing people with State funds as well. |