Archer explained that ballot language for constitutional amendments should try . At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. Prior to that, Texas voters had last increased the exemption in 1997 with the passage of Proposition 1, which increased the homestead exemption from $5,000 to $15,000. [7], In January 2019, the Texas secretary of states office announced that it would be providing local election officials with a list of registered voters who obtained drivers licenses or IDs with documentation such as work visas or green cards. In 2019, the Texas State Legislature passed House Bill 3 (HB 3), which provided school maintenance and operations tax rate compression. Here is a breakdown of each of them, including ballot language and what they mean. U.S. President | 1.) If two propositions pass, the state will increase school funding to make up for revenues lost from a decrease in property taxes. Under Proposition 1, those homeowners could qualify for those additional reductions in 2023 if the measure passes, said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who wrote the legislation calling for the constitutional amendment. FOX 26 Houston. The full text of Proposition 1 can be read here. This Election Day, Nov. 2, Texas voters are considering eight state propositions on their ballots. Proposition 1 authorized the state legislature to reduce the property tax limit for school maintenance and operations taxes imposed on the homesteads of elderly or disabled residents to reflect any tax rate reduction enacted by law from the preceding tax year. 1.) Texas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[16]. During that same period, Texas voters decided 251 ballot measures on odd-numbered year elections. State legislature | Meanwhile, Prop 2 would raise the homestead exemption for school property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this amendment, please email editor@ballotpedia.org. 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Texas Proposition 2 explained The second statewide proposition would raise the homestead exemption for school property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. Yes - 92.25% No - 7.75% 2.) Hopefully that would produce some savings that the average person can use to offset the rising level of cost of living increase, Quintero said. Texans should not lose their jobs, nor should students be penalized, for declining a COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are eyeing a $12 billion surplus in state revenue to pay for some public school costs so districts may lower their property tax rates. During the 2021 second and third special legislative sessions, 72 constitutional amendments were filed in the Texas State Legislature for the 2022 ballot. But this isnt clear cut for voters. It was approved by a vote of 93.83% to 6.17%. Polling place hours vary at each location. } margin-top: 10px !important; The measure could save the average homeowner about $175 on their annual property tax bill, Bettencourt said, and would go into effect this year. View the proclamation. Quintero said this constitutional amendment is designed to cure that discrepancy. The atypical timing is due to legislative approval occurring during two separate special sessions last fall. Texas is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. This measure impacts homestead exemptions in school districts. State Senator Paul Bettencourt was the author of the amendment. Sign up for the Daily Brew. voter registration list. 7.) .sbtotaltable td { Section 18.068 of the Texas Election Code says the following: The secretary of state shall quarterly compare the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized ORourke, meanwhile, has said the state should pick up 50% of public school spending and suggested legalizing marijuana, casino gambling and sports betting as ways to bring in more tax revenue. } Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. "[4], The measure also received bipartisan support. margin-bottom: 5px !important; State legislature | Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Texas should ban chemical castration, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital mutilation surgery on all minor children for sex transition purposes. Firearms .sbtotalheader { Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Show us with your support. Proposition 2 would increase the homestead exemption Texans can take on their school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. 9.) "The frozen value unfreezes and then refreezes lower each year," Bettencourt explained. The legislature by general law may base the amount of and condition eligibility for the additional exemption authorized by this subsection for disabled persons and for persons 65 years of age or older on economic need. In 2007, voters approved Proposition 1, which was a temporary provision that reduced school property tax freeze amounts on homesteads of the elderly or disabled to provide a tax reduction similar to the reduction other taxpayers had received in 2006. It also provides that school districts are entitled to additional state aid to cover the loss of local revenue to service eligible debt.[9]. A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin | Contact us, Sergio Martnez-Beltrn, The Texas Newsroom; radio interview produced by Jill Ament, A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, State Rep. James White on Operation Lone Star: I believe this is money well spent, Trans kids and their families are leaving Texas amid state efforts to charge parents with child abuse, Texas teacher salaries largely lag behind the national average. U.S. Congress | As a result, school districts started compressing their tax rates, and people started seeing reductions. It was approved by a vote of 86.38% to 13.62%. It was passed by a margin of 87.7% to 12.3%. The temporary provision expired on January 1, 2009. Texas voters will decide whether to lower some property taxes that fund schools in a May 7 special election. }. The issue has risen to the fore in the governors race with Abbott and Democratic opponent Beto ORourke putting up dueling proposals. columns: 1; font-size:1.0em; Proposition 1, a measure to essentially cut school district property taxes for homeowners who are 65 and older or disabled, passed by a wide margin, according to Decision Desk. But, Lavine added, he believes its fair to allow people with disabilities and the elderly to have access to the lower tax rates. Between 1985 and 2020, 10 ballot measures have appeared on even-numbered year Texas ballots compared to 251 ballot measures on odd-numbered year statewide ballots during that same period. [11], The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the election. In light of the federal government's refusal to defend the southern border, Texas should immediately deploy the National Guard, Texas Military Forces, and necessary state law enforcement to seal the border, enforce immigration laws, and deport illegal aliens. A "no" vote opposedthis amendment, which would have extended a tax limit reduction to the homesteads of elderly or disabled residents whose tax rates are frozen when they turn 65 or buy a new property. On August 9, 2021, the state Senate passed SJR 2 by a vote of 29-0 with two absent. In this section, Ballotpedia does not include opinion pieces written by individuals or groups that do not represent the official position of a newspaper or media outlet. So, for example, with the current exemption, a homeowner with a property valued at $500,000 would be paying taxes on $475,000. Gulf of Mexico warming at faster rate than global ocean, study finds, At these old-school restaurants in Texas, you feel like its an extension of your home, Greg Abbott says if these corporate tax breaks return, renewable energy should be excluded. Gambling font-size:1.2em; 9.) In 2021, the state legislature referred ballot measures to an even-numbered year statewide ballot for the first time since 2014. The state will use a $4.4 billion surplus to pay for the measure's first-year cost, but as of October, it was unclear where future funding would come from. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure. voter registration list. Ballotpedia lists the positions of and excerpts from editorials supporting or opposing ballot measures from the editorial boards of certain media outlets. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Texas does not practice automatic voter registration. Ballotpedia includes editorials from newspapers and outlets based on: To submit a media editorial for inclusion, email editor@ballotpedia.org. Voters can also obtain an Election Identification Certificate from a mobile station. [16], Voters who are unable to provide one of the ID options listed above can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following supporting documents:[16], The following voters are exempt from showing photo ID:[16], Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain a Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at any Texas drivers license office during regular business hours. State Senator Paul Bettencourt (R), who sponsored the amendment, said "People see the need for property tax relief, and Texans are going to cry out for that continuously. U.S. President | Lawmakers say. In an election year, its become a political issue as well. . It's great to see the voters of Texas vote overwhelmingly for property tax relief, Bettencourt said Saturday. The lowest turnout for an odd-numbered year election during this period was 5 percent in 2011 when voters decided 10 constitutional amendments. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Oil and gas companies are paying fines that indirectly benefit their industry. According to the office of Sen. Bettencourt, there are on average 5.67 million homesteads in Texas, who could see a $175-$176 savings on their school property tax bill based on the current state average of property tax rates. In Texas, a total of 280 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2022. The highest turnout for an odd-numbered year election during this period was 26 percent in 1991 when voters decided 13 constitutional amendments.[1]. The following list of accepted ID was current as of February 2023. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. } 2.) font-weight:bold; Texas should support the construction of a physical barrier and use existing defense-grade surveillance equipment along the entire southern border of Texas. Tobacco, What's on my ballot? The bill passed the House by a vote of 139-0 with 11 absent or not voting. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Texas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[2]. @media screen and (max-width: 792px) { 8.) The two proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot are: PROPOSITION 1: The constitutional amendment authorizing the . State executives | font-weight:bold; Under state law, the taxable value of an owners primary residence cant rise more than 10% in a given year if they have a homestead exemption. It was approved.[1][2]. Ten major state propositions are on the ballot. This will ensure that naturalized U.S. citizens who lawfully registered to vote are not impacted by this voter registration list maintenance process.[17]. School districts with higher property wealth per student would also see lower payments into a state fund, known as recapture, meant to support districts with lower property values. Texas voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020. STATE OF TEXAS PROPOSITION No.2 "The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000." . A Texas court stayed the execution of Melissa Lucio. But if you do want to cut property taxes, this is the best way to do it because its more fair.. Bettencourt said he expects increased tax bills for those with homestead exemptions to be in the single digits. Homeowners who have a case can also protest their higher home values with their local appraisal districts, he added. Have Texans increased the homestead exemption in the past? Heres what you should know about the proposed constitutional amendments before heading to your polling place this May: What it says: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead..