P.H. Dexippus said:
Logos Stick said:
TommyBrady said:
Why are people voting no on prop 1?
Because they don't understand it.
LOL, right.
Quote:
Creating funds to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System (S.J.R. 59, 2025).
Background: The Texas State Technical College (TSTC) System does not have a consistent source of funding. Rather, it depends on the Legislature to provide money through capital assistance construction projects, which vary from session to session. With the growing demand for technical skills in the workforce, stable and longterm funding is needed to ensure sustainability. S.J.R. 59 seeks to address this by amending Article VII of the Texas Constitution, to establish a permanent technical institution infrastructure fund (S.J.R. 59 Analysis, 2025).
Ballot Language: "The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the permanent technical institution infrastructure fund and the available workforce education fund to support the capital needs of educational programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System" (Texas Secretary of State, 2025).
Supporters say:
- The proposed amendment would invest in the state's need for a skilled workforce by providing dedicated endowment funding for the expansion of Texas State Technical College (TSTC) programs and facilities. TSTC provides technical training for high demand industries across Texas and ensures that students graduate with skills that are aligned to industry needs. The endowment would be a major step in TSTC's ability to secure capital funds needed to expand capacity, which would improve access to technical education, build a stronger workforce pipeline, and increase economic development opportunities for the state.
- Under the current funding model, TSTC receives only limited funding from the Higher Education Fund and has no ability to collect property taxes, which limits its ability to expand its programs. This makes it difficult for TSTC to meet the demand for skilled workers in Texas. With greater investment, more students would be able to access advanced education and training for high-quality jobs.
- The Legislature has added five new campuses to TSTC since 2012 in areas of the state facing increased demand for an industrial workforce, but TSTC has not been able to develop and grow these campuses to adequately address these local workforce demands. Providing this additional source of funding would better allow TSTC to fulfill these needs and fully develop these campuses.
Opponents Say:
- The proposed amendment would increase government spending where it might not be needed.
- Amending the constitution to create a perpetual source of funding outside the regular appropriation process will remove the discretion of future legislatures to determine proper funding levels.
Texas Eagle Forum Position: NO. This type of spending should always be done within the regular state budget to provide transparency, oversight, and accountability. If it is needed, our legislators should cut waste to find the money within their constitutionally prescribed spending limits rather than add to our Constitution in order to overspend. Initial cost $850MM.
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility Position: ANTI-TAXPAYER. SJR 59 proposes a constitutional amendment to create two new state-managed funds specifically for capital investments and infrastructure at the Texas State Technical College System. These funds would exist outside the general revenue stream and receive continuous funding with investment returns distributed annually. Unlike most state programs, this funding would be automatically appropriated without further legislative approval, removing oversight. The bill repeals an existing safeguard that caps TSTC's allocation from constitutionally dedicated higher education funding. The bill limits flexibility in budgeting, and ties the hands of both future taxpayers and future legislatures. It also expands government spending obligations and increases the risk of future calls for similar carveouts by other institutions. This amendment entrenches a long-term funding stream in the constitution that lacks strong taxpayer accountability measures. Taxpayers will end up footing the bill for permanent infrastructure commitments regardless of TSTC's performance or need, at a time when the legislature should be prioritizing property tax relief.
Texas Policy Research Position: NO. This amendment would create two dedicated state funds to support infrastructure, land acquisition, and equipment for the Texas State Technical College System (TSTC), seeded with an initial $850 million from general revenue. These funds would operate outside the normal state budget and legislative oversight. While expanding access to workforce education supports individual liberty and personal responsibility, embedding this preferential funding mechanism in the Constitution undermines limited government and transparency. A statutory approach with normal budget oversight would better uphold fiscal accountability.
True Texas Project Position: OPPOSE. This amendment creates a "fund" outside the state budget and legislative oversight. Embedding such spending in the constitution creates a perpetual spending scheme with no legislative control. While we support workforce education, this is not the way to expand land acquisition and equipment for the TX State Technical College System. Such expenditures should be handled in the normal statutory process, providing legislative oversight and transparency. Fiscal Note Prop 1: None except publishing ($191,689). However page 5 of bill states the amount allocated for the fund may not exceed $52 million for 2026, and then the amount may be adjusted for inflation in subsequent years. So, we can expect a minimum of $52 million to be put in the fund each year.
The bottom line is it is a (1) large new unfunded spending mandate (2) that belongs in a budget, not in the Constitution as an unaccountable slush fund.
WRONG! It's not a spending mandate and it is funded by the ESF. There is NO new spending and NO new taxes. Everything done by the TSTC board of trustees is fully transparent and open to public scrutiny and review by the legislature at will. Its not unaccountable!
Ever heard of Texas A&M? They get money from the PUF each year and it is NOT approved by the legislature. That funding flows automatically based on established constitutional and statutory formulas, making it a stable, hands-off revenue stream for the university system. That's what this amendment does for TSTC. The state owns that land and those royalties and yet its given to A&M without legislative oversight!
OH NOES! An unaccountable slush fund!!!! LOLOL
