How do we feel about the following?

I absolutely love 12,15,16.

Some other good ones there roo

See other thread as well...

Here's a link not from a 'news' review of the proposed amendments.

Don't know much at all about this policy think tank but I generally agree with their takes after a quick skim of their write up. Critically, this site posts links to the enabling legislation on the legislature's website where you can read in full the text of bills that created the propositions.

https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/texas-2025-constitutional-amendments-explained-ballot-guide-vote-recommendations/

Talk to me about twelve. Pros? Cons? How's does this change current state?

Most of the time I oppose anything that treats one group of people differently from everyone else.

Possible tax exemption for "stores selling animal feed". Ones business doesn't need to be exempt from property tax when another is not. Ones top of that, how long until dang near everyone puts a feed section in the back of their store and nobody is paying.

Texas Scorecard lists the recommendations from:

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Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, True Texas Project, Texas Policy Research, and Texas Eagle Forum have each released vote recommendations for the amendments.

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https://texasscorecard.com/state/roundup-novembers-constitutional-amendments-recommendations/

Basically, against 1,4,11,14 with differences on 3,7,15 and for the remainder.

2, 3, 8, 15, 16 are great imo.

7, 11 and 13 should be a no. Stop band-aid fixes, remove property taxes 100% for everyone and move to a consumption tax so everyone pays fairly including guests to the state.

cslifer said:

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Possible tax exemption for "stores selling animal feed". Ones business doesn't need to be exempt from property tax when another is not. Ones top of that, how long until dang near everyone puts a feed section in the back of their store and nobody is paying.

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Agree. This is asking to be abused, which would be extremely difficult and expensive to investigate. Even on its face, such an exemption makes no sense.

#5 is ridiculous

1 and 4 are the ones I have questions on. Others are straight forward.

Anyone not able to see early voting locations or voting day locations in the website? It shows 0 for both for me at least for Waller county.

https://www.votetexas.gov/voting/where.html


Edit: Waller county had it, state run site is still trash
https://www.co.waller.tx.us/page/2025%20County%20and%20Entity%20Elections

1. I don't know enough about Texas State Technical College System to say whether this would be worthy. I welcome input.

2. Yes, provided the definition of "capital gains" doesn't get warped in the process.

3. Yes, 100%.

4. This is a good idea, I'm hesitant to have that level of funding mandated by the constitution though.

5. Terrible idea on all fronts.

6. Not necessarily needed. This seems like it's targeting operations for the Texas Stock Exchange we've been hearing about. I'd be interested in more info about the background of this amendment, and the intended purpose for it.

7. Yes, give the legislature this power.

8. 100%, the leg shouldn't have this option. It should have a stipulation that it's only for long established Texas residents.

9. Not sure how I feel about this.

10. Yes, with a time limit on the exemption, or perhaps only for a primary home. I could very well see property left vacant indefinitely following a fire to essentially make that property tax exempt.

11. Yes for age, not for disability.

12. I don't know enough about this. It seems it gives the governor a lot of power.

13. Yes, the more the merrier for homestead exemption.

14. Seems like a slush fund to funnel money to friends.

15. Yes, remove the legislature's ability to interfere here.

16. Yes, the leg should not be able to change this, make it so.

17. Yes, this seems reasonable, and is narrowly defined.



I welcome more information, explanations, and disagreements.

I had no idea the animal feed lobby in Texas was so strong.

torrid said:

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I had no idea the animal feed lobby in Texas was so strong.

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Hunting lobby is likely all over this too. Game feed is likely included, not just livestock. Deer corn and protein feed prices are absurd nowadays and this is one way they are trying to artificially lower it.

Just an fyi on the animal feed issue. Farmers and ranchers do not pay sales taxes on animal feed when they buy it or sell it for farm use.

But the way I understand it, feed stores are taxed on it's value when it is in inventory, which drives up prices.

SunrayAg said:

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Just an fyi on the animal feed issue. Farmers and ranchers do not pay sales taxes on animal feed when they buy it or sell it for farm use.

But the way I understand it, feed stores are taxed on it's value when it is in inventory, which drives up prices.

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Interesting. That would be the tax to target I would think, not a property tax exemption.

I'd welcome an explanation as to why a property tax exemption makes any sense here.

That is what this targets. The inventory is tangible personal property subject to ad valorem taxation.

This is not a real property tax break. And would still have to be implemented in legislation in a later session. That's where the devilish details would come in.

I'm a NO on 1,4,7,11,13,14

1. No more taxpayer funding! Taxes enough already
4. No more taxpayer funded slush funds for infrastructure projects
7. Govt shouldn't pick winners and losers. What is different about a widowed veteran than a teacher or a shift worker?
11. No picking winners and losers. Eliminate property taxes altogether!
13. Eliminate property taxes taxes altogether!
14. No taxpayer funded medical slush funds!

normaleagle05 said:

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That is what this targets. The inventory is tangible personal property subject to ad valorem taxation.

This is not a real property tax break. And would still have to be implemented in legislation in a later session. That's where the devilish details would come in.

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Here is a list I found online from Texas Scorecard which includes links to four different organizations. They seem conservative at first glance, but I make no endorsement of their organizations or positions, simply because I don't know them.

The links give their reasoning and details for why they did or did not support each proposition, which I found helpful.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR)

True Texas Project (TTP)

Texas Policy Research (TPR)

Texas Eagle Forum (TEF)

Here are their summarized positions from Texas Scorecard.

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Proposition 1 (SJR 59): Creating funds to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System.
TFR: Oppose
TTP: Oppose
TPR: Oppose
TEF: Oppose

Proposition 2 (SJR 18): Banning taxes on the realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 3 (SJR 5): Denying bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain offenses punishable as a felony.
TFR: Neutral
TTP: Support
TPR: Oppose
TEF: Oppose

Proposition 4 (HJR 7, enabling legislation HB 16): Dedicating a portion of state sales and use tax revenues to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue.
TFR: Oppose
TTP: Oppose
TPR: Oppose
TEF: Oppose

Proposition 5 (HJR 99, enabling legislation HB 1399): Exempting from ad valorem taxation tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held by the owner of the property for sale at retail.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 6 (HJR 4): Prohibits the Legislature from imposing an occupation tax on certain entities that enter into transactions conveying securities or imposing a tax on certain securities transactions.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 7 (HJR 133): Providing for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a veteran who died as a result of a condition or disease that is presumed to have been service-connected.
TFR: Support
TTP: Oppose
TPR: Support
TEF: Neutral

Proposition 8 (HJR 2): Prohibiting the Legislature from imposing death taxes applicable to a decedent's property or the transfer of an estate, inheritance, legacy, succession, or gift.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 9 (HJR 1, enabling legislation HB 9): Exempting from ad valorem taxation a portion of the market value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 10 (SJR 84): Providing a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of the appraised value of an improvement to a residence homestead that is completely destroyed by a fire.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 11 (SJR 85): Increasing the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled.
TFR: Neutral
TTP: Oppose
TPR: Oppose
TEF: Oppose

Proposition 12 (SJR 27, enabling legislation SB 293): Relating to the authority of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, the tribunal, and the Texas Supreme Court to more effectively sanction judges and justices for judicial misconduct.
TFR: Neutral
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 13 (SJR 2, enabling legislation SB 4): Raising the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district from $100,000 to $140,000.
TFR: Support
TTP: Reluctantly Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Reluctantly Support

Proposition 14 (SJR 3, enabling legislation SB 5): Creating the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund to provide money for research on and prevention and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and related disorders in this state.
TFR: Oppose
TTP: Oppose
TPR: Oppose
TEF: Oppose

Proposition 15 (SJR 34): Parents are the primary decision makers for their children.
TFR: Support
TTP: Oppose
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 16 (SJR 37): Voters must be United States citizens.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

Proposition 17 (HJR 34, enabling legislation HB 247): Providing an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the amount of the market value of real property located in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the installation or construction on the property of border security infrastructure and related improvements.
TFR: Support
TTP: Support
TPR: Support
TEF: Support

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Explain #5 to me. Will all Tractor Supply stores now be exempt?

FatZilla said:

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torrid said:

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I had no idea the animal feed lobby in Texas was so strong.

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Hunting lobby is likely all over this too. Game feed is likely included, not just livestock. Deer corn and protein feed prices are absurd nowadays and this is one way they are trying to artificially lower it.

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You may be on to the real reason for the proposition.

Why are some people against increasing the homestead exemptions? I hate having to pay so many taxes for schools I don't use.

TXAG 05 said:

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Why are some people against increasing the homestead exemptions? I hate having to pay so many taxes for schools I don't use.

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Likely because it doesn't fix the problem. Home valuations are spiraling out of control (and therefore the associated taxes), so a $40k increase is a small and temporary reduction at best. A flat exemption increase is also progressive in effect.

TXAG 05 said:

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Why are some people against increasing the homestead exemptions? I hate having to pay so many taxes for schools I don't use.

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Because its the exactly like the boiling pot with a frog analogy. People are slowly getting priced out of their own homes by taxes on artificially fluctuating amounts. Instead of fixing it, the just slowly keep raising a tiny bit of the exemption while no limits are placed on the real problem, the boards who artificially set prices higher and higher every year on houses while faking the no "tax" rate increase. Stop voting for this and start demanding the end of renting our properties from the government.

Absolutely need to vote for Prop 4.

We need the water. Badly.

FatZilla said:

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TXAG 05 said:

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Why are some people against increasing the homestead exemptions? I hate having to pay so many taxes for schools I don't use.

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Because its the exactly like the boiling pot with a frog analogy. People are slowly getting priced out of their own homes by taxes on artificially fluctuating amounts. Instead of fixing it, the just slowly keep raising a tiny bit of the exemption while no limits are placed on the real problem, the boards who artificially set prices higher and higher every year on houses while faking the no "tax" rate increase. Stop voting for this and start demanding the end of renting our properties from the government.

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We aren't getting a consumption tax that replaces property tax. Pure fantasy. So give me #13 because it's better than nothing.

In the meantime, what's going to happen soon is a decrease in valuations. We have the largest housing supply glut on record right now and it's only going to get worse as the boomers tap out and go to assisted living and nursing homes. Prices have to fall.

Now, will municipalities simply just squeeze the other end of the ballon and raise tax rates as a result - will absolutely happen in many cases.

Or, you could live where I live and get both a tax rate increase and a valuation increase for 2025. And then likely take a big rate increase on water by next year. Lucky me.

Predmid said:

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Absolutely need to vote for Prop 4.

We need the water. Badly.

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Agreed. Would certainly want to know how this money gets allocated, but parts of the state are critical and dire at this point. People in areas where water is not an issue who are against this may not realize this.

Predmid said:

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Absolutely need to vote for Prop 4.

We need the water. Badly.

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Its just another slush fund without any guarantees for what its spent on. Why should people vote yes on it? Honest question on your reasoning here?

B-1 83 said:

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Explain #5 to me. Will all Tractor Supply stores now be exempt?

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Businesses in Texas pay personal property tax on the inventory they hold. This exempts animal feed value from their business taxes.

Ridiculous in the first place that Texas has any personal property taxes, even on businesses.

FatZilla said:

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Predmid said:

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Absolutely need to vote for Prop 4.

We need the water. Badly.

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Its just another slush fund without any guarantees for what its spent on. Why should people vote yes on it? Honest question on your reasoning here?

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I would want to see the mechanism for it, for sure, before voting on it.

txyaloo said:

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B-1 83 said:

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Explain #5 to me. Will all Tractor Supply stores now be exempt?

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Businesses in Texas pay personal property tax on the inventory they hold. This exempts animal feed value from their business taxes.

Ridiculous in the first place that Texas has any personal property taxes, even on businesses.

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I am honestly surprised any business has to pay unrealized taxes on any held inventory each year. It should either be taxed when purchased by them, when sold by them or not at all. Shouldn't pick any winners or losers on specific inventory types within a category imo.

I don't understand any of the logic above that says don't do something to reduce property taxes. Some say they will vote no because all property tax should be eliminated....but that ain't happening anytime soon...so your logic is just keep screwing everyone? Especially the elderly?

I’m going to the polls for this reason only… to vote no on awarding $3 billion to the Texas medical mafia to line their pockets for a dementia research institute.

Nothing against research - but the state of Texas… and my paycheck… don’t need to fund it!!

NO ON PROP 14! https://t.co/TOZklWpkAZ

— Mary Talley Bowden MD (@MdBreathe) October 20, 2025