ELECTION RESULTS: Texas voters in favor of Proposition 4, prohibiting state income tax

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LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Texas voters have voted YES, in favor of a constitutional amendment that would prohibit a personal income tax.

Future lawmakers could still pass an income tax, but they would have to overturn the amendment, requiring approval from two-thirds of the House and Senate, and a majority of Texas voters.

Here’s a quick summary of how Texas voted on the other propositions:

• Texans voted overwhelmingly to let police dogs stay with their handlers or other certified caregivers after their service.
• They rejected a proposition that would have allowed municipal judges to hold more than one office
• They approved $200 million in Texas Water Development Board bonds
• They approved a tax exemption for portions of property damaged in a disaster
• They approved the use of sporting goods taxes for national parks
• They approved $3 billion for cancer prevention
• They approved increased distributions to the school fund
• They approved the creation of a flood infrastructure fund
• And they narrowly approved tax exemptions for precious metals located in Texas

Visit votelubbock.org to see results from Lubbock County voters.

Voters in Ropes approved the bond for their school district, with 99 people (69%) voting yes and 44 (31%) voting no.

The Slaton Mayor’s race is headed to a runoff between John Gatica (164 votes) and Lynn Nowlin (162 votes). Runoff election set for Dec. 17, with early voting two weeks earlier.

Charlie Haynes, Jr. was selected as City Commissioner for Ward 4 with 45 votes (52%) Terry Reeves got 34 votes (40%) and Vernon Steese got 7 (8%).

Plainview voters have approved their school district bond proposal, with 1,603 voters (60.74%) voting in favor, and 1,036 voters (39.26%) voting against.

Voters in Wilson also approved their school bond measure, voting 92 to 60 (61% to 39%.)

Voters in Olton have approved alcoholic beverage sales inside city limits, with 259 (76%) voting for and 83 (24%) against.

9,589 people voted in Lubbock County on Tuesday, adding to the 14,237 who voted early.

Proposition details here:

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time.”

What it means: Municipal court judges adjudicate city ordinance violations and certain misdemeanor criminal cases. The proposition would permit elected municipal court judges to serve multiple municipalities at the same time. Currently, only appointed municipal court judges — who make up more than 95 percent of the state's municipal court judges, according the House Research Organization — can serve multiple jurisdictions at the same time, making it more challenging for small and rural cities to find qualified candidates, some argue.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas.

What it means: This would allow TWDB to issue bonds to fund for water and wastewater infrastructure projects in areas where median household income is at or below 75% of the statewide median income level.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster.”

What it means: This would allow the Legislature to create temporary property tax exemptions for people with property damaged in governor-declared disaster areas. The Legislature would be able to pass laws determining the eligibility requirements for exemptions, as well as the duration and amount of any write-offs.

What it means: This would make it more challenging for future lawmakers to enact a personal income tax, requiring support from two-thirds of the House and Senate and a majority of Texas voters. Currently, the state Constitution requires that any proposal be approved a majority of lawmakers in the House and Senate and a majority of voters in a state-wide referendum.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment dedicating the revenue received from the existing state sales and use taxes that are imposed on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas’ natural areas, water quality, and history by acquiring, managing, and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes.”

What it means: It would earmark all revenue from the sporting goods sales tax toward the state parks and wildlife department and historic commission, as intended when the tax was created in 1993. In the past, the Legislature has not appropriated all available tax revenue to TPWD and THC.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.”

What it means: This would allow the Legislature to double the maximum amount of bonds it can issue on behalf of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, to $6 billion.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment allowing increased distributions to the available school fund.”

What it means: This would allow the General Land Office, the State Board of Education and other entities to double the amount of revenue they can provide the Available School Fund each year. The Available School Fund provides classroom materials and funding for Texas schools.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects.”

What it means: This would create a flood infrastructure fund that the Texas Water Development Board could use to finance projects following a disaster.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state.”

What it means: This would allow the legislature to create a property tax exemption for precious metals held in state depositories — like the Texas Bullion Depository, scheduled to open next year in Leander.

Ballot: “The constitutional amendment to allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances.”

What it means: It would allow for former handlers or qualified caretakers to adopt retired law enforcement animals without a fee.

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