Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

The following is the list of propositions for the Constitutional Amendment Election that will be held on November 6, 2007. Early voting begins October 22, 2007.

Proposition 1. The constitutional amendment providing for the continuation of the constitutional ppropriation for facilities and other apital items at Angelo State University on a hange in the governance of the university.

SUMMARY: This proposition would transfer Angelo State University from the Texas State University System to the Texas Tech University System.

Proposition 2. The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of $500 million in general obligation bonds to finance educational loans to students and authorizing bond enhancement agreements with respect to general obligation bonds issued for that purpose. 

SUMMARY: This amendment would allow the state to issue $500 million in bonds to finance education loans for college and university students.

Proposition 3. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide that the maximum appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem taxation is limited to the lesser of the most recent market value of the residence homestead as determined by the appraisal entity or 110 percent, or a greater percentage, of the appraised value of the residence homestead for the preceding tax year.

SUMMARY: This proposition would limit the increase in appraised taxable value of a residence homestead to 10 percent since the property’s most recent appraisal.

Proposition 4. The constitutional amendment authorizing the issuance of up to $1 billion in bonds payable from the general revenues of the state for maintenance, improvement, repair, and construction projects and for the purchase of needed equipment.

SUMMARY: This proposition would authorize the state to issue $1 billion in bonds for needed equipment and construction projects for state agencies including Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Youth Commission, and Department
of State Health Services.

Proposition 5. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit the voters of a municipality having a population of less than 10,000 to authorize the governing body of the municipality to enter into an agreement with an owner of real property in or adjacent
to an area in the municipality that has been approved for funding under certain programs administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture under which the parties agree that all ad valorem taxes imposed on the owner’s property may not be increased for the first five tax
years after the tax year in which the agreement is entered into.

SUMMARY: This amendment would authorize the Legislature to allow a city with a population under 10,000 to hold an election to freeze the property taxes for properties within or near areas designated for redevelopment under the Downtown Revitalization Program or the Main Street Improvements Program administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Proposition 6. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation one motor vehicle owned by an individual and used in the course of the owner’s occupation or profession and also for personal activities of the owner.

SUMMARY: This proposition would authorize the Legislature by general law to exempt from ad valorem taxation one car owned by an individual that was used in the individual’s occupation or profession and also used for personal activities that did not involve the production
of income.

Proposition 7. The constitutional amendment to allow governmental entities to sell property acquired through eminent domain back to the previous owners at the price the entities paid to acquire the property.

SUMMARY: This proposition would authorize governmental entities to sell land acquired by condemnation back to the former owner, or other successors, at the price the entity paid at the time of acquisition if the public use for which the property was acquired had been canceled, no actual progress was made toward the public use during a prescribed period of time, or the property was unnecessary for the public
use.

Proposition 8. The constitutional amendment to clarify certain provisions relating to the making of a home equity loan and use of home equity loan proceeds.

SUMMARY: This proposition would specify that the home equity borrower would not be required to sign a loan document unless all substantive blanks on the document had been filled in. The homeowner would be required to receive a copy of the loan application one business day prior to the loan closing. The lender, at the time the home equity loan was made, would have to provide the homeowner with a copy of the final loan application and all executed documents signed by the owner at closing. The borrower could secure a loan against the equity in his or her home within one year of obtaining the same type of loan on the same homestead only if the borrower on oath requested an earlier closing due to a state of emergency declared by the governor or the U.S. president that applied to the area where the homestead was located.  A home equity loan could not be secured by a homestead property that was designated for agricultural use on the date of sale. The borrower could not use a preprinted check unsolicited by the borrower to obtain an advance under a home equity line of credit. The 12-day waiting period for closing a home equity loan would commence on the date the loan application was submitted.

Proposition 9. The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt all or part of the residence homesteads of certain totally disabled veterans from ad valorem taxation and authorizing a change in the manner of determining the amount of the existing exemption from ad valorem taxation to which a disabled veteran is entitled.

SUMMARY: This proposition would authorize the Legislature to exempt disabled veterans’ homes from property taxes.

Proposition 10. The constitutional amendment to abolish the constitutional authority for the office of inspector of hides and animals.

SUMMARY: This proposition would remove out-of-date references from the Texas Constitution regarding an office that no longer exists.

Proposition 11. The constitutional amendment to require that a record vote be taken by a house of the legislature on final passage of any bill, other than certain local bills, of a resolution
proposing or ratifying a constitutional amendment, or of any other non-ceremonial resolution, and to provide for public access on the Internet to those record votes.

SUMMARY: This proposition would require a vote taken in either house of the Legislature to be by record vote if the vote was on final passage of a bill or any other measure other than a resolution of a purely ceremonial or honorary nature.

Proposition 12. The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of general obligation bonds by the Texas Transportation Commission in an amount not to exceed $5 billion to provide funding for highway improvement projects.

SUMMARY: This proposition would authorize the state to issue $5 billion in bonds to fund transportation projects.

Proposition 13. The constitutional amendment authorizing the denial of bail to a person who violates certain court orders or conditions of release in a felony or family violence case.

SUMMARY: This proposition would authorize a judge to deny bail at a subsequent hearing to a defendant originally charged with an offense involving family violence and released on bail pending the trial, if the judge finds probable cause that the defendant violated a condition of release related to the safety of a victim or the community.

Proposition 14. The constitutional amendment permitting a justice or judge who reaches the mandatory retirement age while in office to serve the remainder of the justice’s or judge’s current term.

SUMMARY: This proposition would allow judges who had reached the mandatory age of retirement (75 years old) to finish their terms.

Proposition 15. The constitutional amendment requiring the creation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and authorizing the issuance of up to $3 billion in bonds payable from the general revenues of the state for research in Texas to find the causes of and cures for cancer.

SUMMARY: This proposition would establish tthe Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and authorize the issuance of $3 million in bonds to fund research on all forms of human cancer.

Proposition 16. The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $250 million to provide assistance to economically distressed areas.

SUMMARY: This proposition would authorize the state to issue $250 million in bonds to help meet the water and wastewater infrastructure needs in economically distressed areas.