LPBexar News

Check out the Libertarian Party of Texas’ guidance on the 8 Constitutional Amendments below outlining why  YOUR vote can bring Liberty to Texas.  

But first, some voting guidance:

• Early voting takes place Oct 18 through Oct 29.
  • Early voting can happen in ANY polling place in the county in which you are registered to vote
• Mail in ballot applications must be RECEIVED BY Oct 22
  • For eligible voters who are 65+, sick/disabled, out of the county or incarcerated for entire voting period
  • Application may be emailed or faxed, but a printed copy MUST ALSO be mailed
  • Early voting clerk must RECEIVE your mail-in ballot before 7 pm on Nov 2\
• Texas requires 1 of 7 forms of acceptable ID to vote 

Make your voting plan now! Figure out where and when you’re going to vote and put it on your calendar. Encourage friends, family, and neighbors to exercise their right (and responsibility) to be heard in this election. Do what you can to spread accurate information. Consider what resources you have to offer – transportation, child care, access to a printer, etc – that might help someone else be heard.

If you have other questions about how to make your vote count in November or become more active here in Bexar County, PLEASE REACH OUT to us via email. We can help you find the answers you need.

Proposition 1 (HJR143)

Text: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the professional sports team charitable foundations of organizations sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association to conduct charitable raffles at rodeo venues.”

Impact: Current law authorizes qualifying professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct raffles to raise money for the foundation’s charitable purposes. This Amendment includes the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to be included as a professional sports team, allowing them to conduct charitable raffles at rodeo events. 

LPTexas Recommendation: The legislature is already empowered to permit charitable raffles at other professional sporting events. Proposition 1 would extend that same allowance to Rodeo events. As Libertarians we are against government welfare and would much rather help our fellow citizens through private charity. We advocate in favor of any opportunity to increase private and voluntary giving. LPTexas suggests a “YES” vote on Proposition 1. LPTexas Platform I.1.g

Proposition 2 (HJR 99)

Text: “The constitutional amendment authorizing a county to finance the development or redevelopment of transportation or infrastructure in unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted areas in the county.”

Impact: The Texas Constitution gives the legislature the power to authorize, by general law, an incorporated city or town to issue bonds and to pledge increases in property tax revenues for the repayment of those bonds but does not expressly give the legislature the power to grant that same authority to counties. The bill proposes an amendment to the Texas Constitution to authorize the legislature to authorize a county to issue bonds or notes to finance the development or redevelopment areas within the county and to pledge for repayment of those bonds or notes increases in property tax revenues imposed on property in the area by the county. This bill will increase the scope of taxing authorities on Texas citizens and provides the ability for counties to accumulate additional debt without the revenue to repay said debts. 

LPTexas Recommendation: LPTexas does not support government borrowing, and does not support increasing debt in the form of bonds or notes. Proposition 2 is especially egregious

because it subjectively allows county governments to pick and choose winners and losers by labeling certain areas as unproductive, underdeveloped, or blighted. LPTexas suggests a “NO” vote on Proposition 2. LPTexas Platform II.1.e

Proposition 3 (SJR 27)

Text: “The constitutional amendment to prohibit this state or a political subdivision of this state from prohibiting or limiting religious services of religious organizations.”

Impact: Proposition 3 would amend the Texas Constitution to prohibit the state or a political subdivision of the state from enacting, adopting, or issuing a statute, order, proclamation, decision, or rule that prohibited or limited religious services, including services conducted in churches, congregations, and places of worship, in the state by a religious organization established to support and serve the propagation of a sincerely held religious belief. 

LPTexas Recommendation: LPTexas respects the right of all individuals to freely practice any religion or no religion at all. Proposition 3 affirms what should already be an obvious right, and specifically prohibits any political actor from imposing their will on another’s free exercise of religious freedom. LPTexas suggests a “YES” vote on Proposition 3. LPTexas Platform I.1.a

Proposition 4 (SJR 47)

Text: “The constitutional amendment changing the eligibility requirements for a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the court of criminal appeals, a justice of a court of appeals, and a district judge.”

Impact: Proposition 4 would amend the Texas Constitution to change the eligibility requirements to serve on the Texas Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, Courts of Appeals, and State District Courts. A candidate for the Texas Supreme

Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, or any Court of Appeals would have to have been a lawyer licensed in Texas for at least 10 years prior to running. For District Court judges the current requisite would increase from four to eight the number of years preceding a district judge’s election that the judge would have to have been a practicing lawyer, a judge of a Texas court, or both combined. The proposition also would require that during these requisite years the person’s license to practice law could not have been revoked, suspended, or subject to a probated suspension. rejected. 

LPTexas Recommendation: LPTexas opposes any measure that would limit voter choice. Proposition 4 would add extra requirements that could preclude certain individuals from taking office. Ultimately, it is the voters who should decide who is or is not qualified from holding any particular office. LPTexas suggests a “NO” vote on Proposition 4. LPTexas Platform I.5.c

Proposition 5 (HJR 165)

Text: “The constitutional amendment providing additional powers to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct with respect to candidates for judicial office.”

Impact: Proposition 5 would amend the Texas Constitution to allow the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to accept complaints or reports, conduct investigations, and take any other authorized action with respect to a candidate for state judicial office in the same manner the commission may take those actions with respect to a person holding such office. 

LPTexas Recommendation: LPTexas opposes any measure that would limit voter choice. Proposition 5 would grant a state commission additional authority to police candidates, and likely require additional funding to match. Increasing the scope of government power is almost always a bad idea, and ultimately it is the voters who should decide who is or is not qualified from holding any particular office. LPTexas suggests a “NO” vote on Proposition 5. LPTexas Platform I.5.c

Proposition 6 (SJR 19)

Text: “The constitutional amendment establishing a right for residents of certain facilities to designate an essential caregiver for in-person visitation.”

Impact: Proposition 6 would amend the Texas Constitution to grant residents of certain long-term care facilities the right to designate an essential caregiver with whom the facility could not prohibit in-person visitation. The proposition would apply to a resident in a nursing facility, assisted living facility, intermediate care facility for individuals with an intellectual disability, residence providing home and community-based services, or state supported living center. 

LPTexas Recommendation: LPTexas strongly supports the rights of all individuals to freely associate with whomever they chose. Proposition 6 could potentially inject government into the role of defining relationships or it could potentially enshrine a desirable right that all individuals should have. LPTexas takes “NO POSITION” on Proposition 6  LPTexas Platform I.1.c

Proposition 7 (HJR 125)

Text: “The constitutional amendment to allow the surviving spouse of a person who is disabled to receive a limitation on the school district ad valorem taxes on the spouse’s residence homestead if the spouse is 55 years of age or older at the time of the person’s death.”

Impact: Proposition 7 would amend the Texas Constitution to provide that the surviving spouse of an individual who was already receiving a limitation on the school district property taxes for their residence homestead on the basis of disability, will continue to receive that dispensation while the property remains the spouse’s residence homestead so long as the spouse was at least 55 years old at the time the disabled person’s death.

LPTexas Recommendation: LPTexas supports the elimination of all property taxes. Proposition 7 does move incrementally towards that goal, however there are concerns that this tax relief is being doled out in a discriminatory manner by carving out exemptions to a select few instead of all. This amendment would effectively create special classes of people for something we believe should apply to all Texans. LPTexas takes “NO POSITION” on Proposition 7 LPTexas Platform II.1.b

Proposition 8 (SJR 35)

Text: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide 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 member of the armed services of the United States who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.”

Impact: Proposition 8 would amend the Texas Constitution to expand eligibility for the residence homestead tax exemption currently provided to the surviving spouse of a member of the U.S. armed services who was killed in action. With the amendment, the surviving spouse would be entitled to the same exemption if the service member was killed or fatally injured in the line of duty. LPTexas Recommendation: LPTexas supports the elimination of all property taxes. Proposition 8 does move incrementally towards that goal, however there are concerns that this tax relief is being doled out in a discriminatory manner by carving out exemptions to a select few instead of all. This amendment would effectively create special classes of people for something we believe should apply to all Texans.  LPTexas takes “NO POSITION” on Proposition 8.  LPTexas Platform II.1.b